THE  GIFT  OF 

FLORENCE  V.  V.  DICKEY 

TO  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  DONALD  R.  DICKEY 

LIBRARY 
OF  VERTEBRATE  ZOOLOGY 


GAME  BIRDS 

AND 

GAME  FISHES 

OF  THE 

PACIFIC  COAST 


...  BY  ... 

H.  T.  PAYNE 


Illustrated    with   Half-tones   from   Photographs   of 

Live   and    Carefully   Mounted 

Birds  and  Fishes. 


With  Ready  Reference  Diagrams  of  Each  Family, 

Giving   the   Scientific   and   Common  Names 

of    Each    Genus    and    Species,    Their 

Relationship,   Breeding  Grounds 

and  General  Range. 


NIOWS   PUBLISHING   CO.,   Los  Angeles 


Copyrighted  1913,  Under  Act  of  Congress, 
By  H.  T.  Payne 


INTRODUCTION 

Laws  recently  enacted  by  most  of  the  states  for  the 
better  protection  of  the  game,  imposing  a  nominal  li- 
cense for  the  privilege  of  hunting  it,  have  enabled  us 
to  take  a  census,  as  it  were,  of  that  vast  number  of 
the  American  people  who  enjoy  the  health-giving  sports 
of  the  field.  This  census  reveals  the  fact,  that,  of  the 
whole  population  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  nearly  twenty  per 
cent  of  all  those  over  fifteen  years  of  age  are  licensed 
sportsmen.  Add  to  these  the  large  number  of  anglers, 
not  counted  in  this  enumeration,  and  the  rapidly  in- 
creasing number  of  young  ladies  who  are  learning  to 
enjoy  the  exhilarating  sports  of  the  field  and  stream, 
and  this  percentage  will  be  appreciably  increased.  It  is, 
therefore,  obvious  that  a  study  of  the  game  birds  and 
game  fishes  must  be  one  of  interest  to  a  very  large 
portion  of  our  people,  and  especially  to  the  younger 
generation  whose  knowledge  of  the  game  they  bring 
to  bag  is  still  in  the  formative  state. 

Unlike  all  other  works  treating  of  the  birds  and  fishes, 
this  one  is  written  from  the  standpoint  of  the  practical 
sportsman  and  angler,  rather  than  for  the  student  of 
ornithology  or  ichtheology.  I  have,  therefo-c  avoided 
the  use  of  technical  names  as  much  as  possible,  and 
employed  in  the  description  of  the  various  species  the 
plainest  language  consistent  with  a  clear  understanding 
of  their  distinguishing  features.  I  have,  however,  for 
the  benefit  of  those  who  wish  to  learn  their  scientific 
names  and  genetic  relationship,  added  after  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  members  of  each  family,  a  tabulated  form, 
giving  the  Order,  Family,  Subfamily  and  Genus  to 
which  the  several  species  belong;  together  with  their 
common  names,  general  range  and  breeding  grounds. 
A  new  and  convenient  feature  of  ready  reference. 

The  numerous  illustrations,  which  are  from  photo- 
graphs of  the  actual  birds,  is  a  new  feature  of  great 
importance  to  the  student,  as  they  give  the  perfect  mark- 
ings of  every  feather,  and  the  true  gradation  of  color  as 
appearing  in  nature. 

That,  by  placing  within  the  reach  of  the  younger  gen- 
eration of  sportsmen,  such  knowledge  of  the  game  birds 
and  game  fishes  as  I  have  gained  through  more  than 
half  a  century  spent  in  their  pursuit,  may,  in  a  measure, 
liquidate  the  deep  debt  I  owe  for  the  many  happy  hours 
and  excellent  health  drawn  from  the  exhilarating  sports 
of  the  field  and  stream,  is  the  earnest  wish  of 

THE  AUTHOR. 


550735 


THE  GAME  BIRDS  OF  THE 
PACIFIC  COAST 

In  describing  the  game  birds  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  I 
have  included  all  those  found  in  any  considerable  num- 
bers from  the  British  Columbia  line,  south  to  and  in- 
cluding the  state  of  Arizona,  the  Mexican  states  of 
Sonora  and  Chihuahua  and  the  peninsula  of  Lower 
California,  for  in  some  of  these  less  frequented  places, 
game  birds  are  found  in  great  numbers  and  great  va- 
riety. This  is  especially  true  in  these  southern  sections 
with  the  quail,  for  here  its  voice  is  heard  in  all  the 
notes  of  the  gamut,  from  the  soft,  turkey-like  call  of  the 
mountain  species,  the  soul-stirring  whistle  of  the  bob- 
white,  or  the  sharp,  decisive  "can't  see  me"  of  the  val- 
ley quail,  through  all  the  varied  changes  of  the  blue 
quail  family,  to  the  low  plaintive  note  of  the  massena 
quail  of  Mexico. 

While  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  work  to  give  a 
scientific  classification  of  the  game  birds  of  which  it 
treats,  a  brief  statement  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
are  grouped  and  classified  by  the  ornithologist  will  ma- 
terially assist  the  reader  in  the  study  of  those  species 
herein  mentioned. 

The  ornithologist  groups  all  the  birds  of  North  Amer- 
ica into  seventeen  "Orders";  each  of  these  including  all 
birds  of  a  similar  nature.  Some  of  these  orders  are 
divided  into  two  or  more  suborders,  where,  while  clear- 
ly belonging  to  the  order,  there  is  yet  a  sufficient  differ- 
ence in  certain  groups  of  families  to  justify  this  further 
separation.  The  next  division  is  the  "family,"  which  is 
again  divided  into  "genera,"  and  each  "genus"  into 
"species." 

Of  the  seventeen  orders  of  American  birds,  the  scope 
of  this  work  includes  only  six;  for  all  of  the  birds,  com- 
monly called  game  birds,  belong  to  one  or  the  other  of 
the  following  orders: 

The  Gallinae — All  gallinaceous,  or  chicken-like  birds. 
Of  this  order  we  only  have  to  consider  two  families: 
The  Tetraonidae,  composed  of  the  quail  and  grouse,  and 
the  Phasianidae,  composed  of  the  turkeys  and  pheasants. 

The  Anseres — Lamellirostral,  or  soft-billed  swimmers, 
such  as  the  ducks,  geese,  swans  and  mergansers,  com- 
prising the  one  family,  Anatidas,  which  is  divided  into 
five  subfamilies,  with  four  of  which  we  are  concerned, 
viz.:  The  Anatinae,  the  fresh-water  ducks;  the  Fuligu- 
linae,  the  salt-water  ducks;  the  Anserinas,  the  geese  and 
9 


brant;  and  the  Cygninae,  the  swans. 

The  Columbae — This  order  has  but  one  family,  the 
Columbidae,  composed  of  the  pigeons  and  doves. 

The  Limicolae — This  order  has  seven  families,  only 
three  of  which  I  have  mentioned  as  being  of  sufficient 
interest  to  the  sportsmen  of  the  Pacific  Coast  to  justify 
a  description  of  them.  These  are  the  Recurvirostridae, 
composed  of  the  stilts  and  avocets;  the  Scolopacidae, 
the  snipes,  curlews,  yellow-legs,  willits,  marlins,  sand- 
pipers, etc.;  and  the  Charadridae,  the  plovers. 

The  other  two  orders,  the  Herodiones  and  the  Paludi- 
colae,  the  first  composed  largely  of  the  herons,  storks, 
ibises,  and  egrets,  and  the  latter  of  the  cranes,  rails 
gallinules  and  coots,  afford  more  pleasure  to  the  sports- 
man through  their  stately  appearance  on  his  hunting 
grounds  than  as  game  birds.  The  coots,  however,  are 
not  considered  game  by  our  sportsmen. 

It  is  well  to  state  here  also,  that  ornithologists  do  not 
always  agree  in  the  classification  and  nomenclature  of 
birds.  One  claiming  that  a  certain  species  or  genus 
should  be  separated,  while  others  insist  that  there  is  no 
reason  for  such  separation.  With  the  one  exception  of 
the  California  valley  quail,  I  have  followed  the  plan  of 
the  American  Ornithologists'  Union.  In  this  exception 
I  have  followed  such  good  authorities  as  Banapart,  El- 
liott, Ridgeway  and  Gambel,  and  given  the  California 
valley  quail  the  generic  name  of  Lophortyx,  instead  of 
classing  them  with  the  Callipepla,  to  which  belong  the 
scaled  quail,  a  species  with  no  distinction  between  the 
sexes. 


THE  QUAIL 

While  the  eastern  half  of  the  continent  has  but  one 
genus  of  quail,  the  Pacific  Coast,  including  Mexico,  is 
well  supplied  with  five  genera  and  eighteen  species,  to 
which  may  be  added  four  subspecies.  Nine  species  of 
the  genus,  Col  in  us,  however,  and  two  of  the  genus, 
Callipepla,  do  not  come  into  the  United  States. 

Properly  speaking  we  have  no  quail  in  America,  all 
of  our  so-called  quail  being  partridges,  but  the  use  of 
the  word  "quail"  has  become  so  common  that  these 
birds  will,  in  all  probability,  be  known  as  quail  for  all 
time.  But  whatever  the  name,  they  are  resourceful 
beyond  comparison,  and  gamy  to  the  fullest  degree; 
affording  with  dog  and  gun  the  most  enjoyable  of  all 
out-door  sport. 

11 


THE  MOUNTAIN  QUAIL 

(Oreortyx  pictus) 

The  mountain  quails  are  the  largest  and  most  beau- 
tiful of  all  the  American  quails,  though  the  least  hunted 
and  the  least  gamy.  There  is  but  one  genus,  with  one 
species  and  two  subspecies.  Two  of  these  inhabit  the 
mountains  of  California  and  Oregon,  and  the  third,  the 
high  ranges  of  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California.  While 
most  of  the  sportsmen  of  the  Pacific  Coast  are  convers- 
ant with  the  general  character  and  coloration  of  the 
mountain  quail,  I  believe  but  few  of  them  have  ever 
seen  the  more  beautiful  species  that  inhabit  the  San 
Pedro  Martir  mountains  of  Lower  California. 

The  present  species,  given  the  English  name  of  moun- 
tain partridge,  by  the  ornithologists,  and  which  he  has 
taken  for  his  type,  is  a  small  race  found  only  on  the 
Coast  Range  from  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco  north  into 
Oregon,  and,  therefore,  never  reaches  the  high  altitudes 
reached  by  its  near  relatives,  the  Oreortyx  pictus  plumi- 
ferus,  to  which  the  English  name,  plumed  partridge,  has 
been  given.  In  fact,  both  of  these  varieties  are  plumed, 
though  that  of  the  latter  is  a  trifle  the  longer.  The 
fact  that  the  plumed  quail  ascends  the  mountains  each 
spring  to  heights  of  from  five  to  eight  thousand  feet  for 
nesting  purposes,  gives  it  a  better  claim  to  the  name, 
mountain,  than  has  the  other  variety. 

The  present  species,  the  mountain  quail,  is  generally 
found  in  the  canyons  and  on  the  damp  hillsides  where 
ferns  are  abundant.  They  have  very  little  of  the  migra- 
tory habits  of  the  other  species,  except  when  driven 
down  in  the  winter  by  the  snows.  Their  habits  and 
general  plan  of  coloration  are  so  much  like  those  of  the 
other  two  species  that  I  shall  describe  them  all  to- 
gether, with  the  proper  mention  of  wherein  they  differ. 

THE  PLUMED  QUAIL 

(Oreortyx  pictus  plumiferus) 

The  range  of  the  plumed  partridge  is  throughout  the 

entire  length  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  and  of  the  coast 

range  south  of  San  Francisco  bay  into  Lower  California, 

where  it  intergrades  with  the  San  Pedro  partridge,  but 

it  does  not  cross  the  Colorado  river  and  enter  Arizona 

or  the   mainland   of   Mexico.     This   species   begins   its 

migrations   early   in  the   spring,   keeping   close   to  the 

snow  line  until  they  reach  altitudes  as  high  as  7000  to 

8000  feet,  where  they  nest  and  rear  their  young.     In 

12 


the  fall,  just  before  the  winter  rains  begin,  they  com- 
mence their  migrations  down  again  to  the  foot-hills, 
where  they  remain  until  the  following  spring.  Unless 
driven  by  unusually  heavy  snows,  they  rarely  descend 
lower  than  2000  to  3000  feet  above  sea  level. 

SAN  PEDRO  MARTIR  MOUNTAIN  QUAIL 
(Oreortyx  pictus  confinis) 

The  San  Pedro  partridge,  so  named  by  the  ornithol- 
ogist, is  a  resident  of  the  San  Pedro  Martir  mountains 
of  Lower  California,  and  ascends  to  a  height  of  ten 
thousand  feet,  and  is  rarely  seen  lower  than  five  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  sea. 

I  want  to  say  here  that  no  work  on  ornithology  that 
I  have  seen,  describes  the  San  Pedro  partridge  prop- 
erly. Most  likely  this  is  the  result  of  an  examination 
of  the  intergrades  only,  for  they  do  intergrade  with  the 
California  species  to  the  northward.  The  two  species 
first  mentioned  have  the  plume  from  one  and  a  half  to 
two  and  a  half  inches  long  and  nearly  round  in  form. 
The  plume  of  the  San  Pedro  partridge  is  flat,  about 
three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  wide  and  from  three  and  a 
half  to  four  and  a  half  inches  long.  The  plume  of  the 
other  varieties  is  erectile,  but  that  of  the  San  Pedro 
denizen  is  soft  and  falls  down  the  side.  In  all  species 
both  sexes  are  alike,  with  the  exception  that  the  plume 
of  the  female  is  generally  a  trifle  the  shorter;  but  this 
can  not  always  be  relied  upon  to  distinguish  the  sex. 

Generally  speaking  there  is  not  much  sport  in  hunting 
the  mountain  quail,  but  I  have  at  times  had  a  bevy  scat- 
tered in  ferns,  and  in  such  cases  had  very  good  sport 
with  them  with  a  dog,  and  found  them  to  lie  very  well. 
They  are  about  a  half  larger  than  the  valley  quail,  and 
as  a  table  bird  much  more  succulent. 

Color — Top  of  head,  back  of  neck  and  breast,  an  ashy 
blue,  darker  on  the  back  of  the  neck  than  the  breast; 
back  and  wings,  inclining  to  olive  brown,  in  the  Coast 
species  with  a  slight  reddish  tinge;  abdomen  and  flanks, 
rich  chestnut  barred  with  black  and  white;  under  tail 
feathers,  black;  entire  throat,  reaching  well  down  onto 
the  breast,  rich  chestnut,  bordered  with  white;  chin, 
white;  bill,  black.  The  two  California  species  have  two 
round,  black  plumes  falling  gracefully  over  the  back  of 
the  neck,  but  erectile  when  excited.  These  plumes  will 
vary  from  one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  inches  in 
length.  The  Lower  California  species  have  two  flat, 
black  plumes  about  three-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width 
13 


and  from  three  and  a  half  to  five  inches  long.  Both 
sexes  are  alike  in  all  species. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest,  like  that  of  all  gallinaceous 
birds,  is  a  depression  on  the  ground,  hidden  among  a 
bunch  of  bushes  or  under  a  log,  surrounded  by  a  few 
dry  leaves.  The  number  of  eggs  will  average  about  a 
dozen,  rather  oval  in  shape  and  of  a  light  ochreous 
color. 

Measurements — Length  (see  diagram),  will  average 
about  10  inches;  wing  5^,  bill  about  %  of  an  inch. 

THE  CALIFORNIA  VALLEY  QUAIL 

(Lophortyx  californicus  vallicola) 

There  are  two  varieties  of  the  California  valley  quail. 
They  are  distinguished  not  so  much  by  the  slight  dif- 
ference in  color  as  in  the  very  marked  difference  in 
their  habits. 

As  with  the  mountain  quail  the  ornithologist  has  tak- 
en the  wrong  bird  for  the  type,  making  the  larger  race 
the  subspecies.  To  the  species  (Lophortyx  californicus) 
inhabiting  the  foothills  of  the  Coast  range  north  of  the 
bay  of  San  Francisco  and  into  western  Oregon,  the 
ornithologist  has  given  the  English  name  California  par- 
tridge. This  species  is  a  lover  of  damp  places  and  rank 
growths  of  underbrush  and  ferns.  The  subspecies 
(Lophortyx  californicus  vallicola),  to  which  has  been 
given  the  name  valley  partridge,  ranges  from  central 
Oregon  throughout  the  great  valleys  of  California,  the 
foothills  of  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierras,  both  sides 
of  the  Coast  range  south  from  San  Francisco  bay  and 
throughout  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California.  Like  the 
mountain  quail  it  does  not  cross  the  Colorado  desert 
into  Arizona  or  the  mainland  of  Mexico.  Nevertheless 
it  has  a  wider  range  than  any  other  one  species  of  game 
bird. 

Of  all  the  game  birds  of  America  the  California  valley 
quail  is  the  most  resourceful  and  characterized  by  the 
greatest  cunning.  Having  hunted  these  birds  for  up- 
ward of  fifty  years  and  practically  throughout  their 
entire  range,  I  freely  give  them  credit  for  knowing 
more  tricks  and  being  able  to  concoct  more  schemes  of 
deception. than  all  the  rest  of  the  tetraonidae  combined, 
and  this  resourcefulness  has  led  to  most  of  the  false 
statements  regarding  their  behavior  and  gameness.  It 
has  been  said  by  writers,  who  should  know  better,  that 
a  dog  is  no  use  in  hunting  them  because  of  their  dis- 
position to  run.  Any  bird  with  more  game  than  a  fool- 
15 


hen  will  either  flush  or  run  where  there  is  no  under- 
cover in  which  to  hide,  and  the  valley  quail  being  so 
often  found  in  dry,  open  places  or  chaparral  devoid  of 
undercover,  will  either  flush  or  run  until  it  finds  suit- 
able hiding  grounds. 

But  give  the  valley  quail  cover  in  which  to  hide  and 
it  can  and  will  outhide  any  game  bird  except  the  Monte- 
zuma  quail  of  Mexico.  In  fact  it  is  this  remarkable 
faculty  of  hugging  the  ground  until  it  is  almost  stepped 
upon  that  has  led,  more  than  anything  else,  to  its  false 
reputation  as  a  runner.  The  man  who  hunts  the  valley 
quail  without  a  dog — and  most  of  its  detractors  do — 
can  walk  through  a  patch  of  good  cover  with  a  hundred 
birds  scattered  in  it  for  an  hour  or  more  and  not  get  up 
a  half  dozen.  Unlike  the  bobwhite  or  the  Montezuma 
quail  of  Mexico,  the  valley  quail  bunches  in  the  fall. 
These  bunches  will  contain  anywhere  from  two  or  three 
broods  to  two  or  three  hundred  individuals,  and  some- 
times even  thousands,  and  they  seem  to  understand  that 
the  larger  the  bunch  the  greater  the  necessity  for  avoid- 
ing pursuit.  They  are  fond  of  the  open  places  and  the 
bare  hill-tops  and  when  driven  from  these,  being  a 
brush  bird,  they  very  naturally  seek  the  brush.  If  there 
is  no  grass  or  suitable  undercover  in  which  to  hide  they 
will  continue  to  work  their  way  through  it  or  double 
back  on  their  pursuers  until  hiding  places  are  found, 
when  they  will  hug  the  ground  so  closely  that  even  a 
good  dog  must  pass  reasonably  near  to  them  before  he 
will  detect  their  scent.  The  man  who  hunts  without  a 
dog  generally  passes  through  the  cover  into  which  his 
bevy  has  settled,  continues  his  walk  for  a  mile  or  more, 
then  sits  down,  filling  the  air  with  a  sulphurous  streak 
of  strong  sounding  words  as  he  curses  the  game  little 
birds  for  running,  while  the  resourceful  little  fellows, 
closely  hid,  laugh  over  the  security  a  false  reputation 
has  given  them. 

There  has  been  a  great  deal  written  about  the  ability 
of  quail  to  withhold  their  scent,  and  many  theories  have 
been  advanced.  That  all  game  birds  do  lose  their  scent 
temporarily  while  passing  rapidly  through  the  air  I  be- 
lieve to  be  true,  and  the  valley  quail  has  this  faculty 
strongly  added  to  its  other  resources.  This  too  often 
deceives  the  inexperienced  man  even  when  hunting  with 
a  dog.  Where  birds  have  been  flushed  into  good  cover 
and  can  not  be  raised,  sit  down  and  take  a  smoke,  if 
you  like,  for  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour,  then  cast 
in  your  dog  and  you  will  be  rewarded  with  point  after 
point,  where  before  your  dog  failed  to  detect  the  slight- 
16 


est  scent.  After  years  of  experience  with  all  of  the  up- 
land birds  of  the  United  States  and  half  of  Mexico,  I 
do  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  the  California  quail  the 
chief  of  them  all  in  gameness,  in  resourcefulness,  and 
in  its  general  adaptability  to  furnish  the  highest  form 
of  upland  shooting.  But  California  quail  can  not  be 
hunted  successfully  without  a  good  dog. 

The  food  of  the  adult  California  quail,  according  to 
an  investigation  made  by  the  United  States  Agricul- 
tural Department,  through  the  examination  of  the  stom- 
achs of  619  birds,  taken  during  every  month  of  the 
year,  except  May,  consists  of  97  per  cent  vegetable  and 
3  per  cent  animal  matter,  the  vegetable  varying  accord- 
ing to  the  seasons.  During  the  rainy  season,  when 
green  vegetation  is  abundant,  grasses  and  foliage  of 
various  kinds  form  fully  80  per  cent  of  the  entire  food, 
while  in  the  dry  season  it  forms  barely  one  per  cent. 
In  the  dry  season  weed  seeds  form  as  high  as  85  per 
cent  of  the  food;  one  stomach  examined  containing  2144 
seeds  of  various  kinds.  During  the  harvesting  season 
when  there  is  a  good  deal  of  grain  on  the  ground,  and 
during  the  sowing  season,  grains  form  about  6  per  cent 
of  the  diet.  During  the  season  when  wild  blackberries, 
elder  and  other  wild  berries  are  ripe,  these,  with  a  few 
grapes  and  a  little  of  some  other  fruits,  form  23  per 
cent  of  the  food. 

During  the  first  week  of  the  life  of  the  young  birds, 
insects  of  various  kinds  make  up  75  per  cent  of  their 
food,  but  by  the  time  they  are  a  month  old  their  animal 
food  is  no  greater  than  that  of  the  old  birds. 

Color — Male — Forehead,  gray;  top  and  back  of  head, 
sooty  black,  bordered  with  white  running  around  from 
one  eye  to  the  other,  and  this  again  has  a  faint  edging 
of  black;  throat,  black,  margined  with  white;  plume, 
narrow  at  the  base  and  wide  at  the  top,  consisting  of 
six  black,  V-shaped  feathers,  each  folded  within  the 
other  and  curved  forward;  back  and  sides  of  the  neck 
to  the  shoulders,  deep  ashy  blue  with  the  feathers  mar- 
gined with  black.  Back  and  wings,  bluish  brown; 
primaries,  or  longest  wing  feathers,  dark  brown;  breast, 
deep  ashy  blue,  shading  into  a  dirty  buff  at  the  lower 
part  of  the  abdomen;  flanks,  dirty  brown  with  white 
markings. 

The  northern  coast  species  are  darker  with  more  of 
an  olive  tinge.  But  all  the  markings  are  the  same. 

Female — The  female  resembles  the  male  in  general 
color,  but  without  the  black  head  and  throat.  The 

17 


plume  is  dirty  brown,  about  half  the  length  of  the  male's 
and  nearly  straight. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  consists  of  a  depression  in 
the  ground  carefully  hid  away  in  some  bunch  of  grass  or 
brush,  and  usually  contains  from  fifteen  to  twenty  very 
light  buff  or  white  eggs,  often  faintly  speckled. 

Measurements — Length,  eight  to  nine  inches;  wing, 
4y2;  tail,  4;  bill,  %. 

THE  GAMBEL  QUAIL 
(Lophortyx  gambeli) 

The  gambel  partridge  occupies  a  unique  position  in  its 
common  nomenclature.  In  California  it  is  known  as  the 
Arizona  quail,  while  the  sportsmen  of  Arizona  refer  to 
it  as  the  California  quail.  In  this,  too,  they  both  have 
good  reasons  for  the  names  used,  for  these  birds  are 
found  on  both  sides  of  the  Colorado  river,  that  is  in 
both  Arizona  and  California.  Commencing  in  the  Mex- 
ican state  of  Sonora,  where  they  are  found  from  the 
western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Madre  mountains  to  the 
Gulf  of  California,  the  range  of  the  species  extends 
northward  and  eastward  through  western  Arizona,  and, 
crossing  the  Colorado  river  onto  the  desert  of  the  same 
name,  passes  through  southeastern  California  into 
southern  and  central  Nevada  and  Utah.  The  gambel 
quail  belongs  to  the  same  genus  as  the  two  species  of 
the  California  valley  quail  and  in  general  appearance 
resembles  them. 

The  gambel  quail  is  emphatically  a  desert  bird,  able 
to  live  through  the  long,  dry  seasons  without  water.  If 
there  are  any  trees  in  its  neighborhood  it  will  seek 
them  for  roosting  purposes,  but  it  is  found  distributed 
over  vast  sections  where  even  the  smallest  brush  is 
very  scattering  and  under  cover  nearly  quite  if  not 
entirely  absent,  yet  in  such  places  this  member  of  the 
resourceful  blue  quail  family  protects  itself  from  hawks 
and  predatory  animals  with  an  astonishing  success. 
The  gambel  quail  is  a  true  runner  and  can  develop  an 
astonishing  speed  for  so  small  a  bird.  A  very  large  part 
of  the  unwarranted  reputation  of  the  California  valley 
quail  as  a  runner  is  derived  from  confounding  it  with 
the  gambel  and  the  habit  of  the  Arizona  sportsmen  of 
calling  the  gambel  the  California  quail,  but  even  as 
great  runners  as  the  gambel  quail  are,  I  have  found 
them  to  lie  well  to  the  dog  in  the  heavy  bunch-grass 
sections  of  southeastern  California  and  southern  Ne- 
vada. I  have  also  had  fine  sport  with  them  along  the 
19 


bottoms  of  the  Colorado  river,  where  they  are  to  be 
found  in  abundance. 

The  food  is  practically  the  same  as  the  California 
valley  quail. 

Color — The  general  color  of  the  upper  parts  and  the 
breast  is  lighter  and  more  of  an  ashy  blue  than  the 
valley  quail,  but  in  its  markings  the  gambel  is  the 
more  conspicuous  and  more  brilliant.  The  black  throat, 
bordered  with  white,  the  gray  forehead  and  the  forward 
turned  plume  are  common  to  both,  but  the  top  of  the 
head  of  the  gambel  is  a  bright  cinnamon  red,  while  that 
of  the  valley  quail  is  a  sooty  brown.  The  flanks  of  the 
gambel  are  conspicuously  marked  with  bright  chestnut 
brown  with  each  feather  with  a  narrow  central  stripe 
of  white. 

Nest  and  Eggs — Are  the  same  in  this  species  as  in 
the  valley  quail. 

Measurements — Same  as  the  valley  quail. 

THE  SCALED  QUAIL 

(Callipepla  squamata) 

Next  in  geographical  order  is  the  scaled  quail  of  Ari- 
zona and  northern  Mexico  generally.  This,  too,  is  a 
desert  bird  which  I  have  seen  in  great  numbers  at  least 
twenty-five  miles  from  the  nearest  water.  It  is  the 
only  member  of  the  quail  family  where  there  is  no 
difference  in  the  markings  of  the  sexes,  except  the 
mountain  quail.  In  the  open  country  it,  too,  is  a  run- 
ner, though  it  can  not  begin  to  develop  the  speed  of 
the  gambel  nor  will  it  continue  to  run  for  such  long  dis- 
tances. 

During  a  residence  of  a  year  in  the  state  of  Chihua- 
hua, Mexico,  where  I  was  developing  some  mining  prop- 
erty, I  found  the  scaled  quail  in  great  numbers  all 
around  me.  Very  few  of  the  Mexican  people  are  wing 
shots  and  few  hunt  except  for  the  resulting  meat.  Lit- 
tle attention,  therefore,  is  paid  to  the  quail,  and  in  the 
section  where  I  was  located  I  do  not  believe  that  even 
the  "oldest  inhabitant"  of  the  quail  settlement  had  ever 
heard  the  report  of  a  shotgun.  I  had  with  me  a  brace 
of  English  setters,  and  these  birds,  though  found  among 
chino  grama  grass  and  low  maguey  plant,  which  offered 
splendid  opportunities  for  hiding,  not  only  tried  my 
patience  to  the  limit,  but  that  of  my  dogs  as  well,  by 
deliberately  walking  about  twenty-five  to  thirty  paces 
in  front  of  me  without  the  least  thought  of  either  hiding 
or  taking  to  wing.  By  firing  a  couple  of  shots  over  them 
21 


each  morning  I  soon  educated  them  to  flush  at  the  sight 
of  me.  In  a  couple  of  weeks  they  behaved  very  well 
and  furnished  me  with  good  sport,  hiding  readily  and 
lying  good  for  the  dogs. 

Most  of  the  game  birds  need  more  or  less  educating 
before  they  fully  meet  the  requirements  of  the  sports- 
men. Most,  too,  of  the  complaints  that  sportsmen  make 
regarding  the  bad  behavior  of  certain  species  of  game 
or  birds  of  certain  sections  should  be  charged  to  the 
lack  on  the  part  of  the  hunter  of  a  knowledge  of  their 
habits  rather  than  to  the  ill  manners  of  the  birds.  One 
will  often  hear  it  said  that  certain  men  are  lucky  hunt- 
ers and  can  not  help  staggering  onto  their  game.  Such 
men  are  lucky  because  they  make  a  close  study  of  the 
ways  of  the  birds  of  each  separate  character  of  coun- 
try. Knowing  the  places  in  which  they  will  most  likely 
be  found  feeding,  they  approach  them  from  such  direc- 
tions as  will  have  a  tendency  to  drive  them  into  the 
desired  cover.  A  great  deal  of  the  annoyance  of  run- 
ning birds,  I  have  found,  can  be  avoided  by  a  careful 
study  of  their  habits  and  proper  management  in  han- 
dling them,  and  this  is  especially  true  of  the  scaled 
quail. 

Color — The  back,  the  wings  and  tail  coverts  are  a 
light,  ashy  blue,  but  the  feathers  of  the  shoulders, 
breast  and  abdomen  are  margined  with  dark  brown, 
with  a  yellowish  arrow-shaped  central  spot  which  gives 
them  the  appearance  of  scales.  Its  throat  is  a  very  faint 
but?,  and  instead  of  the  plume  of  the  genus  Lophortyx 
it  has  a  broad  erectile  crest  with  the  feathers  tipped 
with  white.  Both  sexes  sire  ulike. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nesting  habits  are  the  same  as 
those  of  the  other  species  of  the  blue  quail  family,  but 
the  eggs  are  more  of  a  buff  and  generally  more  speck- 
eled  with  brown. 

Measurements — About  the  same  as  the  valley  quail. 

THE  CHESTNUT-BELLIED  SCALE  QUAIL 

(Callipepla  squamata  castaneigastra) 
The  chestnut-bellied  scaled  quail  is  a  sub-species  of 
the  scaled  quail  just  described.     They  are  not  numer- 
ous and  hardly  enter  the  territory  covered  by  this  work. 
Intergrades  of  the  two  species  are  occasionally  found 
in  northern  Mexico  and   possibly  in  southeastern  Ari- 
zona.   In  general  appearance  they  resemble  the  former 
species,    being,   however,    a    little,  darker    and    with    a 
strong  chestnut  blotch  on  the  belly. 
23 


THE  ELEGANT  QUAIL 
(Callipepla  elegans) 

Along  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Madre  range 
in  the  state  of  Sonora,  Mexico,  is  to  be  found  another 
member  of  the  blue  quail  family  whose  habits  appeal 
strongly  to  the  sportsman.  This  species,  known  as  the 
elegant  quail,  is  one  of  the  most  handsomely  marked  of 
the  group.  From  the  blending  of  the  white  throat  of 
the  bobwhite  with  the  black  one  of  the  gambel,  and 
the  brown  of  the  back  of  the  one  with  the  blue  of  the 
other,  together  with  a  marked  resemblance  in  its  call 
to  that  of  the  bobwhite,  suggests  the  possibility  of  its 
origin  having  resulted  from  a  cross  of  the  two  genera. 
I  may  add  that  both  the  gambel  and  a  species  of  the 
Collinus,  bobwhite,  are  found  in  this  same  section. 

The  elegant  quail  is  generally  found  in  and  around 
thfe  cultivated  fields  which  they  seem  to  prefer  to  the 
open  country.  While  the  elegant  quail  will  walk  leisure- 
ly in  front  of  their  pursuer  until  too  closely  approached, 
they  can  in  no  sense  be  termed  runners.  When  flushed 
they  take  to  cover  and  lie  closely.  Like  all  the  quail 
of  Mexico  they  have  been  hunted  but  little  and  need  to 
be  well  scared  before  they  become  properly  educated 
to  the  gun.  After  a  few  days'  hunting  I  found  them  a 
very  satisfactory  game  bird.  Being  found  around  the 
fields,  the  grounds  and  cover  were  all  that  could  be 
desired  for  excellent  sport. 

Color — Male — Plume  straight,  upright  feathers  about 
an  inch  and  a  quarter  to  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length, 
varying  in  color — possibly  on  account  of  age — from  a 
light  lemon  to  a  dark  reddish  orange.  The  throat  is 
finely  mottled  with  small  black  and  white  dots,  giving 
it  a  dark  gray  appearance.  The  general  color  of  the 
back  and  the  wing  and  tail  coverts  is  a  dark  blue  with 
about  half  of  the  exposed  portion  of  each  feather  tipped 
with  a  bright,  rich  brown.  The  breast  and  abdomen  is 
a  light,  ashy  blue,  profusely  flecked  with  large,  circular 
white  spots. 

Female — The  plume  is  about  two-thirds  the  length  of 
that  of  the  male,  brown  in  color  and  barred  with  black. 
The  breast  and  abdomen  are  spotted  like  the  male  but 
the  back  is  much  the  color  of  the  English  snipe. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  same  as  the  other  species  of  the 
blue  quail. 

Measurements— Same  as  the  valley  quail. 
24 


THE  MASSENA  OR  MONTEZUMA  QUAIL 
(Cyrtonyx  Montezuma) 

The  Massena,  or  Montezuma  quail,  is  a  distinct  genus 
from  the  blue  quail  family.  In  many  respects  it  resem- 
bles the  bobwhite  in  color,  though  far  more  fancifully 
marked.  It  is  also  nearly  one-half  larger,  though  in 
some  parts  of  Arizona  and  in  New  Mexico  there  is  a 
smaller  species  of  the  same  genus  known  as  fool  quail. 
The  Mexican  bird  is  far  from  a  fool,  and  although  it 
roosts  on  the  ground  like  the  bobwhite,  it  is  resource- 
ful enough  to  take  care  of  itself  in  a  country  where 
vermin  of  all  kinds  are  very  plentiful.  Its  range  is  from 
near  the  northern  boundary  south  through  the  larger 
portion  of  Mexico. 

The  Montezuma  quail  is  emphatically  a  grass  bird 
and  inhabits  the  grassy  foothills  and  the  cultivated 
fields,  where  it  affords  fine  sport  with  a  dog.  It  is  very 
cosmopolitan  as  to  climate,  for  it  is  found  at  altitudes 
of  from  five  to  six  thousand  feet,  where  considerable 
snow  falls,  as  well  as  in  the  foothills  of  the  hot,  trop- 
ical valleys  of  the  lowlands,  and  thrives  equally  well  in 
all  sections.  It  is  a  bird  of  peculiar  habits.  When 
startled  by  the  approach  of  an  enemy  the  bevy  at  once 
huddles  together,  where  the  birds  remain  motionless 
until  they  are  approached  to  within  from  one  to  four 
feet,  according  to  the  cover  they  are  in.  If  they  think 
that  they  have  not  been  seen  or  that  the  object  of  their 
alarm  is  going  to  pass  by,  there  is  not  the  slightest 
motion  made  by  any  one  of  them,  but  when  they  decide 
to  take  wing  for  safety  every  bird  in  perfect  unison 
springs  into  the  air  to  a  height  of  about  six  feet  and 
darts  rapidly  away.  They  are  quick  on  the  wing  and 
seem  able  to  carry  away  a  good  deal  of  shot.  The 
flight  generally  is  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards, 
and  when  they  alight  they  scatter  well  and  will  then 
out-hide  any  bird  that  lives.  I  have  both  ridden  and 
walked,  without  a  dog,  for  hours  through  a  country 
where  they  were  plentiful  without  seeing  a  bird,  except 
where  I  chanced  to  nearly  step  upon  them,  yet  with  a 
dog  I  have  found  on  the  same  grounds  probably  an 
average  of  fifteen  bevies  to  the  square  mile.  For  work 
with  a  dog  I  prefer  them  to  any  bird  I  have  ever  hunted. 
They  give  out  a  strong  scent,  for  points  on  bevies  of 
from  six  to  fifteen  birds,  made  thirty  to  forty  yards 
away  are  no  uncommon  occurrence.  Then  when  you 
walk  in  front  of  your  dog  they  never  flush  until  you 
have  almost  stepped  upon  them.  A  scattered  bevy  will 
lie  securely  hid  until  each  individual  is  flushed. 
25 


Unlike  the  blue  quail  they  never  gather  in  large  flocks, 
but  always  remain  in  single  broods  until  broken  up  in 
the  spring  for  nesting  purposes. 

Color — Male — The  head  of  these  birds  have  a  very 
bizarre  appearance  whose  strange  black  and  white  mark- 
ings seem  to  have  no  more  purpose  or  design  than  the 
black  and  white  chalk  marks  on  a  clown's  face.  The 
head  of  the  male  is  crested  with  semi-erectile  feathers 
in  the  shape  of  a  broad  hood  of  dark  yellowish  brown 
color,  falling  about  half  way  down  the  neck;  ground- 
work of  the  back  and  of  the  wing  and  tail  coverts  is  a 
dark  ocher  barred  with  a  deep  rich  brown;  breast  and 
flanks  are  nearly  black,  dotted  with  large  white  spots, 
and  from  the  throat  to  the  vent  is  a  stripe  about  five- 
eighths  of  an  inch  wide  of  a  dark  rich  chestnut. 

Female — The  female,  with  the  exception  of  the  white 
dof°,  on  the  breast  and  flanks  is  much  the  color  of  the 
female  bobwhite. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  like  that  of  the  quail 
generally,  simply  a  depression  in  the  ground,  carefully 
hidden  away  in  some  thick  matted  grass  or  bunch  of 
brush,  and  generally  higher  up  the  hill-sides  than  they 
are  found  at  other  times.  Eggs,  white,  and  of  a  china 
appearance,  and  from  ten  to  fifteen  in  number. 

Measurements — While  these  birds  are  fully  one-half 
larger  than  the  blue  quail,  the  very  short  tail  makes 
their  total  length  not  over  8  to  9  inches;  wing,  5  inches, 
and  bill,  %. 

THE  BOBWHITE 

(Colinus  virginianus) 

I  have  said  that  the  voice  of  the  bobwhite  is  heard 
in  the  land.  This  is  true,  for  the  clear  notes  of  his  lit- 
tle throat  awaken  the  morning  echoes  from  eastern 
Oregon  to  the  islands  of  Puget  Sound.  This  great  lit- 
tle game  bird,  whose  praise  has  been  recounted  in  vol- 
umes of  prose  and  sung  in  the  rhythmic  measures  of 
countless  lines  of  verse,  is  not  a  native  of  the  coast, 
but  he  knew  a  good  thing  when  he  saw  it.  When  he 
was  turned  loose  in  the  Pacific  Northwest  he  cast  his 
bright  little  eyes  about  him  and  remarked  to  himself: 

"This  looks  good  to  me.  Bobwhite,  get  busy  at  once 
in  raising  big  families  and  settle  up  your  new  domain." 

And  he  has  done  it,  for  now  the  sportsmen  of  the 
Pacific  Northwest  have  better  bobwhite  shooting  than 
is  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  eastern  states. 

The  bobwhite  roosts  on  the  ground  and  always  re- 
27 


mains  in  single  broods.  When  startled  they  huddle  to- 
gether and  flush  in  a  bunch.  They  are  good  hiders  and 
lie  well  to  the  dog.  They  are  seldom  found  far  from 
water  and  rarely  in  heavy  brush.  They  are  fond 
of  stubble  or  corn  fields  and  the  grassy  nooks  along 
the  fences.  Many  efforts  have  been  made  to  acclimatize 
this  species  farther  south  in  California,  but  they  have 
all  proved  failures  on  account  of  the  dryer  climate  and 
the  lack  of  insects  during  the  rearing  season  of  their 
young.  They  must  have  a  damp  climate  where  the  vege- 
tation remains  green,  thus  furnishing  an  abundance  of 
insects  during  the  early  summer  on  which  to  feed  their 
young.  For  until  a  bobwhite  is  nearly  grown  it  lives 
almost  entirely  upon  insects. 

Color — Male — General  color  of  the  upper  parts,  light 
buff,  marked  with  triangular  blotches  of  brown;  head 
and  back  of  the  neck,  dark  chestnut;  forehead,  gray; 
light  stripe  from  above  the  eye  passing  down  the  side 
of  the  neck;  throat,  white  or  very  light  buff,  faintly 
bordered  with  dark  brown  or  black;  breast,  light  buff 
with  the  feathers  tipped  with  brown;  flanks  chestnut 
mixed  with  black  and  white. 

Female — Generally  lighter,  and  without  the  white 
throat  and  light  breast. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  rude  depressions  on 
the  ground  beneath  a  fence  rail  or  fallen  limb,  or  in  a 
bunch  of  thick  grass  or  brush.  The  eggs  number  any- 
where from  fifteen  to  twenty  and  of  a  pure  white  color. 

Measurements — Total  length  about  nine  inches;  wing, 
4%  inches;  bill,  %. 

THE  MASKED  BOBWHITE 
(Colinus  ridgewayi) 

A  smaller  species  of  the  bobwhite,  known  as  the 
masked  bobwhite,  were  reasonably  plentiful  along  the 
border  of  southern  Arizona  and  south  through  the  state 
of  Sonora,  Mexico.  Like  the  typical  bobwhite  they  were 
strictly  a  field  and  grass  bird.  But  through  the  heavy 
pasturing  of  that  section,  together  with  a  series  of  dry 
seasons  denuding  the  whole  country  of  such  cover  as 
would  be  necessary  for  their  protection  from  hawks  and 
vermin,  they  have  become  nearly  if  not  quite  extinct. 
They  differed  from  the  eastern  bobwhite  in  that  the 
male  had  a  black  throat  instead  of  a  white  one  and  a 
bright  cinnamon  breast.  The  female  differed  also  in 
having  a  light  buff  throat,  and  generally  of  a  lighter 
color. 

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'br. 

THE  WILD  TURKEY 

If  there  is  any  member  of  the  feathered  tribe  en- 
titled to  the  designation  of  royal  game  bird,  it  is  the 
wild  turkey.  This  magnificent  bird,  whose  size  and 
cunning  challenges  at  once  the  admiration  and  the  skill 
of  the  sportsman,  is  a  native  of  North  and  Central 
America,  and  found  in  its  wild  state  in  no  other  part 
of  the  globe.  The  ocellated  turkey,  the  Central  Amer- 
ican species,  is  even  more  gaudy  in  plumage  than  the 
peacock,  but  as  it  is  not  found  within  the  territorial 
scope  of  these 'articles,  I  shall  leave  its  resplendent 
colors  to  scintillate  in  its  own  tropic  sun,  undescribed. 

Of  the  North  American  turkeys  the  scientist  recog- 
nizes four  varieties.  The  Meleagris  sylvestris  of  the 
eastern  states,  except  Florida,  the  Meleagris  sylvestris 
osceola  of  Florida,  the  Meleagris  sylvestris  elliotti  of 
the  Rio  Grande  district  of  southern  Texas  and  north- 
eastern Mexico,  and  the  Meleagris  gallopavo  of  Arizona, 
New  Mexico,  part  of  Colorado,  and  west  and  south 
through  the  larger  portion  of  old  Mexico.  It  is  of  this 
last  species  that  I  shall  write. 

THE  MEXICAN  WILD  TURKEY 
(Meleagris  gallopavo) 

Outside  of  the  progenitors  of  our  common  barnyard 
fowl,  there  is  no  wild  bird  that  mankind  has  domesti- 
cated whose  distribution  in  its  domestic  state  has  be- 
come so  wide  as  that  of  the  wild  turkey,  and  none  have 
been  so  highly  prized  as  an  article  of  food.  It  is  from 
the  Mexican  wild  turkey,  Meleagris  gallopavo,  that  all 
of  our  domestic  turkeys  have  descended.  First  cap- 
tured in  Mexico  by  the  early  settlers  of  that  country, 
they  were  taken  to  the  West  Indies  and  there  domes- 
ticated as  early  as  1527,  for  Oviedo,  in  his  "Natural  His- 
tory of  the  Indias,"  speaks  of  the  wild  turkey  having 
been  taken  from  Mexico  to  the  islands  and  there  being 
bred  in  a  domestic  state.  From  the  West  Indies  they 
were  taken  to  Spain,  France  and  England,  and  again 
brought  back  to  America  as  domestic  fowls.  In  1541 
they  must  have  been  scarce  yet  in  England,  for  in  an 
edict  promulgated  by  Cranmer  in  that  year,  the  "tur- 
key cocke"  was  named  as  one  of  "the  greater  fowles," 
and  which  "an  ecclesiastic  was  to  have  but  one  in  a 
dishe."  By  1573,  however,  they  must  have  become  quite 
plentiful,  for  in  that  year  Tusser  mentions  them  as  the 
most  approved  "Christmas  husbandlie  fare." 

Inasmuch  as  there  were  no  settlements  of  either  Eng- 
31 


lish,  French  or  Spanish  in  America  north  of  Mexico 
until  1584,  or  in  that  section  of  the  country  inhabited 
by  the  eastern  species  of  wild  turkey  until  sixty  years 
after  the  turkey  is  known  to  have  been  introduced  into 
England,  the  common  belief  that  the  eastern  species 
(Meleagris  sylvestris)  was  the  foundation  of  the  domes- 
tic turkey  is  clearly  an  error;  but  the  ornithologist  does 
not  find  it  necessary  to  consult  history  to  determine  the 
origin  of  the  domestic  turkey.  That  distinguishing  fea- 
ture of  the  Mexican  wild  turkey  (Meleagris  gallopavo), 
the  broad,  light  sub-terminal  of  the  rump  feathers,  is 
so  strong  that  even  after  three  and  a  half  centuries  of 
domestication,  changes  in  color  through  selection  in 
breeding,  and  possibly  crossing  to  some  extent  with  the 
eastern  and  Florida  species,  those  markings,  peculiar  to 
it  alone,  are  unmistakably  present  even  in  the  lightest- 
colored  varieties. 

As  a  game  bird  the  turkey  has  but  few  equals.  Like 
most  of  game  birds  they  are  comparatively  tame  and 
unsuspicious  until  after  they  have  been  hunted,  and 
learned  that  of  all  animals  man  is  their  greatest  foe  and 
most  to  be  dreaded,  for  whenever  he  is  within  sight  he 
is  within  the  range  of  his  instruments  of  destruction. 
I  have  seen  the  Mexican  wild  turkey  constantly  running 
or  flushing  in  front  of  us  from  morning  till  night  as  we 
traveled  through  their  country  for  days.  They  showed 
but  little  fear,  for  while  we  killed  all  we  could  eat,  we 
were  constantly  traveling,  so  that  those  that  had  been 
introduced  to  the  white  man's  methods  of  destroying 
were  left  behind  us,  and  those  in  front  of  us  had  yet 
the  lesson  to  learn;  but  when  the  wild  turkey  has  been 
hunted  a  little  it  becomes  about  as  wary,  cunning  and 
resourceful  as  any  bird  that  flies. 

The  Mexican  wild  turkey  is  the  largest  of  the  race, 
and  has  been,  and  is  yet,  the  most  plentiful.  They  are 
strictly  mountain  dwellers,  not  often  found  in  altitudes 
of  less  than  twenty-five  hundred  to  three  thousand  feet, 
and  more  frequently  from  four  to  six  thousand,  and 
even  up  to  eight  thousand  feet  or  more.  They  are 
strictly  timber  dwellers,  usually,  if  not  always,  living  in 
the  pine  forests,  for  I  can  not  call  to  mind  a  single 
instance  where  I  have  found  them  except  where  pines 
of  some  variety  were  the  principal  trees.  In  size,  indi- 
viduals vary  a  good  deal.  So,  also,  will  the  general 
average  be  found  to  vary  as  much  as  ten  pounds  in 
different  localities.  Generally  the  higher  their  habitat 
the  larger  the  birds,  some  of  the  old  gobblers  reaching 
forty  pounds  if  not  more.  I  remember  killing  one  in 
33 


the  Sierra  Madres  of  northern  Mexico  that  I  carried 
about  three  miles  into  camp  over  a  very  rough  country. 
By  the  time  I  got  him  there  I  was  willing  to  bet  my 
last  "silver  'dobe"  that  he  weighed  a  ton.  I  have  also 
killed  some  very  large  ones  in  the  San  Francisco  moun- 
tains of  Arizona. 

The  wild  turkey,  like  the  mountain  quail,  has  an  up 
and  down  mountain  migration.  In  the  early  spring  the 
hens  begin  to  work  up  the  mountains  and  seek  the 
densest  jungles,  and  of  course  the  gobblers  follow  them. 
The  gobblers  are  polygamous,  and  have  but  little  re- 
spect for  their  families.  They  will  not  only  destroy 
the  nests,  but  even  the  young  birds.  For  this  reason 
the  hens  are  very  secretive  in  nesting,  taking  as  much 
care  in  hiding  them  away  from  the  gobblers  as  from 
their'  other  enemies.  As  soon  as  the  hens  begin  setting 
the  gobblers  gather  in  flocks  and  remain  by  themselves 
until  joined  in  the  early  fall  by  the  hens  and  their  half- 
grown  broods.  After  this  the  flocks  soon  begin  their 
migration  to  the  lower  hills  and  mountain  openings, 
and  congregate  into  immense  roosts.  Places  were  once 
to  be  seen  where  they  had  filled  the  trees  for  acres  in 
such  numbers  as  to  break  the  limbs  in  many  instances. 
In  those  times  and  localities  they  were  too  tame  and 
too  plentiful  to  afford  much  amusement  to  the  man  who 
hunted  them  for  sport,  but  with  the  exception  of  some 
places  in  Mexico  that  day  has  passed,  and  the  sports- 
man who  hunts  these  grand  game  birds  now  will  find 
a  quarry  worthy  of  his  skill  and  affording  him  sufficient 
exertion  to  whet  his  appetite  for  the  delicious  feast  they 
furnish  him. 

Both  the  habits  and  the  habitat  of  the  wild  turkey 
make  the  sport  of  hunting  them  especially  enjoyable. 
As  soon  as  the  gobblers  are  deserted  by  the  hens  they 
become  more  wary,  and  the  crack  of  a  twig  or  the  sight 
of  a  man,  be  he  ever  so  far  away,  and  they  at  once 
seek  cover.  Then  the  keen  eye  and  the  noiseless  tread 
of  the  still  hunter  is  called  upon  for  his  best  and  most 
careful  efforts,  for  the  eyes  of  these  gobblers  are  quick 
to  catch  the  slightest  move  and  their  ears  acute  to  the 
faintest  sound.  The  curiosity  of  a  deer  often  makes 
him  hesitate  long  enough  for  the  opportunity  of  a  shot, 
but  the  gobbler,  after  the  hens  have  left  him,  is  no 
longer  lured  by  curiosity.  His  business  is  to  keep  out 
of  sight,  and  he  can  do  it,  after  he  has  once  learned  the 
destructiveness  of  man,  just  a  little  more  successfully 
than  any  other  bird  or  animal  that  I  have  ever  hunted. 

There  are  no  wild  turkeys  west  of  the  Colorado  river, 
34 


nor  on  the  peninsula  of  Lower  California;  but  there  can  be 
no  reason  to  doubt  that,  had  the  mountains  of  Arizona 
connected  with  the  pines  of  the  Coast  range  in  San 
Bernardino  county  or  with  the  Sierras  of  Inyo  or  Kern, 
the  mountains  of  California  would  have  been  as  well 
supplied  with  turkey  as  are  its  valleys  with  quail. 

Color — The  color  of  the  wild  turkey  varies  very  much 
except  in  those  that  are  found  in  the  higher  mountains 
and  far  away  from  civilization.  Domestication  of  over 
three  hundred  and  fifty  years  has  not  yet  robbed  the 
turkey  of  its  love  for  the  wild  and  they  are  often  seen 
long  distances  away  from  the  farms  feeding  contented- 
ly. In  countries  where  the  wild  turkey  still  existed 
these  tame  varieties  of  various  colors  have  mixed  with 
them,  often  to  such  an  extent  as  to  change  the  color 
very  materially.  I  have  seen  flocks  in  Mexico  ranging 
close  to  ranch  houses  with  turkeys  among  them  so  light- 
colored  that  they  were  no  doubt  tame  birds  that  had 
wandered  away  with  their  wild  progenitors. 

The  wild  turkey  of  Mexico,  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and 
Colorado  is  a  dark  bronze  bird  with  a  light-colored 
rump,  caused  by  the  upper  tail  coverts  being  tipped 
with  a  broad  subterminal  band  of  white,  narrowly  tipped 
with  black.  The  tail  feathers  are  dark  brown,  spotted 
with  black  and  tipped  with  white. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  of  the  wild  turkey  is  gen- 
erally in  a  depression  in  the  ground,  high  up  on  the 
mountains,  and  carefully  hidden  away  in  some  dense 
thicket.  I  cannot  call  to  mind  ever  seeing  but  two 
nests.  One  of  these  had  but  seven  eggs  while  the  other  had 
seventeen.  The  markings  are  the  same  as  those  of  the 
tame  turkey. 

Measurements — The  total  length  varies  from  three  to 
four  and  a  half  feet;  wing  18  to  24  inches. 

THE  MONGOLIAN  PHEASANT 
(Phasianus  torquatus) 

While  the  wild  turkey  is  the  only  representative  of 
the  Phasianidae  found  native  to  the  American  continent, 
the  Mongolian  pheasant  has  been  so  successfully  ac- 
climatized in  Oregon  and  Washington  that  it  must  now 
be  recognized  as  an  established  resident  species. 

After  it  became  an  established  fact  that  these  pheas- 
ants were  proving  a  success  in  Oregon,  there  became  a 
demand  for  their  introduction  into  California,  and  thou- 
sands of  dollars  were  spent  for  a  number  of  years  in 
an  unsuccessful  effort  to  acclimatize  them. 
35 


The  pheasant,  like  the  grouse,  is  a  cold  country  bird, 
and  the  mild  and  dry  climate  of  California  does  not  ap- 
peal to  their  peculiar  tastes  or  the  requirements  of  their 
physical  being.  Oregon,  however,  possesses  the  cli- 
matic, floral  and  entomic  conditions  for  which  nature 
has  fitted  them.  Green  vegetation  lasts  during  the 
whole  season  in  which  they  rear  their  young,  thus  fur- 
nishing them  with  that  abundance  of  insects  necessary 
to  the  health  and  nourishment  of  the  young  chicks. 
They  are  endowed  with  certain  physical  attributes  for 
which  the  cold  of  winter  is  necessary  to  preserve  a 
continued  healthful  condition,  and  this,  too,  they  find 
in  Oregon.  In  fact  this  constitutional  demand  for  the 
cold  of  winter  has  been  by  nature  so  strongly  implanted 
within  them  that  the  rearing  of  thirty  generations  in 
the  comparatively  mild  climate  of  Oregon  has  not  ef- 
faced it,  and  obeying  this  primal  instinct  they  have 
migiated  through  Washington  and  into  the  better-loved 
and  colder  winters  of  British  Columbia. 

Therefore,  while  California  undoubtedly  may  have  an 
abundance  of  wild  turkeys,  quail  in  unlimited  numbers 
and  of  two  or  three  more  species  than  we  have  at  pres- 
ent, the  timber  and  the  plain  tinamus  of  South  America, 
and  possibly  the  sand  grouse  of  southern  Europe,  she 
will  never  have  pheasants  unless  they  be  of  the  ex- 
treme southern  varieties,  and  never  have  more  than  a 
limited  supply  of  grouse. 

North  of  the  mountains  of  southern  Oregon  and 
through  Washington  into  British  Columbia  pheasants 
are  plentiful  and  furnish  the  principal  sport  of  the 
lovers  of  upland  shooting  of  that  section  of  the  Pacific 
Coast.  The  Mongolian  pheasant  as  a  game  bird  has  his 
merits  and  demerits.  As  a  large,  beautiful  plumaged 
bird  to  grace  the  game  bag  the  pheasant  stands  with- 
out a  rival.  As  a  table  bird  the  pheasant  is  only  sur- 
passed in  delicacy  of  flavor  by  the  wild  turkey.  As  an 
aggravating  runner  from  the  dog  the  pheasant  is  in  a 
class  by  itself,  and  as  an  evader  of  all  pursuit  when 
wounded,  "the  Chinaman,"  as  they  are  generally  called 
in  Oregon,  can  give  odds  to  the  gambel  quail.  Though 
the  pheasant  is  a  large  bird  and  able  to  carry  off  a 
good  deal  of  shot,  it  starts  so  slow  to  one  accustomed 
to  the  rapid  flight  of  the  California  quail  that  a  rea- 
sonably fair  shot  will  find  no  difficulty  in  getting  the 
limit  with  a  sixteen  gauge. 

They  are  slow  starters,  caused  by  their  habit  of  rising 
at  an  angle  of  forty-five  to  fifty  degrees  until  they  reach 
a  height  of  about  ten  feet  before  their  rapid  flight  be- 
37 


gins,  but  when  once  on  the  wing  they  are  quite  swift 
flyers. 

While  I  have  said  that  the  pheasants  are  aggravating 
runners,  this  is  principally  so  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
season.  In  the  earlier  parts  they  are  commonly  found 
in  the  stubble  fields,  potato  and  other  vegetable  patches, 
and  usually  in  single  broods.  At  such  times  I  have 
found  them  to  lie  quite  well  to  the  dog,  not  flushing 
until  closely  approached,  and  running  but  little  except 
when  winged.  They  are  then  easy  shooting,  but  the 
fine  size  of  the  bird  and  the  beautiful  plumage  of  the 
cocks  give  a  zest  to  the  sport  and  a  pleasant  distinc- 
tiveness  which  every  sportsman  will  be  pleased  to  add 
to  the  list  of  upland  shooting  he  has  engaged  in. 

To  those  who  wish  to  spend  a  season  on  these  hand- 
some birds,  Oregon,  especially,  offers  an  attraction 
which  goes  far  beyond  its  good  supply  of  pheasants. 
During  the  open  pheasant  season  the  climate  of  Oregon 
is  as  near  perfect  as  one  can  ask.  That  season  of  the 
eastern  states  that  has  been  idealized  in  verse,  and  is 
known  as  Indian  summer,  finds  its  superlative  in  the 
early  fall  of  Oregon.  The  sun  shines  brightly,  but  with 
its  rays  softened  by  its  sub-equinoctial  position;  the 
air  is  mild,  clear  and  invigorating,  and  the  golden  hues 
of  the  stubble  field,  the  yet  bright  green  of  the  grassy 
pastures,  the  rich  tints  of  the  dying  autumn  leaves,  all 
framed  in  the  blue-green  fringe  of  the  near-by  pines 
and  firs,  produce  a  picture  strikingly  beautiful  and  al- 
ways enjoyed.  It  is  in  this  delightful  season  with  such 
a  picture  on  every  side,  heightened  by  an  occasional 
glimpse  of  some  towering  mountain  peak  with  its  crown 
of  eternal  snows,  that  the  sportsman  of  Oregon  lays 
aside  the  cares  of  life  and  lives  in  an  elysium  during 
his  pheasant-shooting  days.  The  setting  of  the  stage 
is  as  much  to  the  play  as  the  acting.  So  with  our  days 
after  game.  The  invigorating  air  we  breathe,  the  beau- 
ty of  the  landscape,  the  stateliness  of  the  forest,  the 
rugged  grandeur  of  the  mountains,  the  soul-inspiring 
picture  of  our  dogs  on  point  and  back,  lends  more  to  the 
real  enjoyment  of  the  day  than  does  the  size  of  the 
bag  we  carry  home. 

Color — Male — The  male  of  the  Mongolian  pheasant 
can  not  be  confounded  with  any  other  game  bird  in 
America.  Its  very  long  tail  feathers — from  fifteen  to 
twenty  inches — will  always  prove  a  distinguishing  mark. 
Its  rich  metallic  colors  of  black,  cinnamon,  chestnut  and 
ocher  give  it  a  combination  of  hues  surpassing  that  of 
any  other  of  our  game  birds. 


Female — Nor  should  the  female  ever  be  mistaken  for 
any  other  bird.  It  partakes  much  of  the  general  colors 
of  the  male,  but  much  subdued  and  more  of  a  general 
ochreous  hue,  the  plumage  being  buff  mottled  with 
brown.  The  tail,  however,  is  not  more  than  one-fourth 
the  length  of  that  of  the  male. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  generally  a  depression  on 
the  ground,  but  often  in  the  hollow  of  some  log.  The 
eggs  number  from  12  to  18  and  are  of  a  dark  ochre  in 
color. 

Measurements — The  measurements  of  a  Mongolian 
pheasant  are  practically  useless  on  account  of  the 
larger  portion  of  it  being  the  tail,  which  greatly  varies 
in  length. 

THE  PIGEONS  AXD  DOVES 

The  family  Columbidae  is  represented  on  the  Pacific 
Coast  by  three  genera  which  are  considered,  to  more 
or  less  extent,  legitimate  game,  though  they  can  not  be 
termed  game  birds  in  the  generally  accepted  use  of 
the  term.  Still  as  they  are  hunted  to  a  very  consider- 
able extent  by  the  sportsmen  of  the  Coast,  they  right- 
fully belong  in  a  work  of  this  kind.  I  shall,  therefore, 
give  them  a  place,  and  briefly  treat  each  species  that 
is  pursued  as  game  within  the  territory  under  consid- 
eration. 

THE  WILD  PIGEON 

(Columba  faciata) 

The  wild,  or  banded  pigeon,  is  a  mountain  dweller, 
found  principally  in  the  southern  half  of  the  territory 
covered  by  this  work.  They  visit  the  valleys  in  the 
fall  and  winter  months  to  feed  on  the  oak  mast,  and  at 
such  times  they  are  seen  in  large  flocks  in  the  Sacra- 
mento, San  Joaquin  and  coast  valleys  of  California. 
They  are  found  in  good  numbers  in  parts  of  Arizona, 
and  are  common  along  both  sides  of  the  Sierra  Madres 
of  Mexico.  When  visiting  the  valleys  they  afford  good 
sport,  as  they  are  swift  flyers  and  capable  of  carrying 
off  a  good  deal  of  shot.  They  have  no  migrations  like 
the  passenger  pigeon  once  so  plentiful  in  the  eastern 
states,  nor  do  they  congregate  in  such  immense  flocks. 

Color — About  the  same  as  the  darker  colored  tame 

pigeon;   the  tail  is  a  trifle  longer  than  the  tame  bird 

and  a  little  lighter  than  the  rest  of  the  plumage  with  a 

dark  band  across   the  middle  of  it;    a  small  patch  of 

39 


white  feathers  at  the  back  of  the  head.  Both  sexes 
are  alike. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  built  in  the  trees  of  small 
twigs  and  grass.  Two  eggs  are  layed  at  a  time,  and  a 
pair  of  young  birds  are  produced  about  every  six  weeks 
from  April  to  August. 

Measurements — A  trifle  more  than  the  tame  pigeon. 

THE  MOURNING  DOVE 
(Zenaidura  macroura) 

The  mourning  dove  is  a  cosmopolitan  species  found 
in  greater  or  less  numbers  in  all  sections.  They  have 
a  slight  migratory  movement  from  the  higher  to  the 
lower  altitudes,  but  they  cannot  be  called  a  migratory 
bird.  A  large  number  of  these  birds  begin  their  nesting 
season  in  the  mountains  at  altitudes  of  from  2000  to 
4000  feet,  raising  one  brood  at  that  height,  then  mov- 
ing down  and  nesting  again,  and  moving  again  until 
they  reach  the  lower  valleys,  where  they  remain  all 
winter,  congregating  in  certain  places  in  flocks  of  hun- 
dreds. Many,  however,  remain  in  the  valleys  all  the 
year  and  nest  around  the  fields  and  along  the  streams. 

The  mourning  dove  is  so  well  known  in  every  coun- 
try that  a  description  of  it  is  unnecessary. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  generally  built  in  the 
small  trees  and  lined  with  any  soft  article  that  they 
can  find.  The  eggs  number  two  and  a  pair  of  the  young 
birds  are  hatched  about  every  six  weeks  from  May  to 
September. 


THE  WHITE-WINGED  DOVE 
(Melopelia  leucoptera) 

The  white-winged  dove  is  nearly  one-half  larger  than 
the  common  mourning  dove.  They  range  from  Mexico 
through  southern  Arizona  to  the  Colorado  desert  in 
southeastern  California.  In  some  parts  of  Arizona  and 
in  Mexico  they  are  found  in  large  numbers,  and  afford 
good  shooting.  Their  habits  are  the  same  as  the  com- 
mon dove,  both  as  to  food  and  nesting,  though  in  parts 
of  Mexico  it  nests  in  the  pitahaya  plants — a  species  of 
cactus — of  whose  fruit  it  is  very  fond. 

This  species  can  easily  be  distinguished  from  any 
other  member  of  the  dove  family  by  the  broad  patch  of 
white  on  the  wings. 

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THE  GROUSE 

Within  the  territorial  scope  of  this  work  there  are 
seven  species  of  the  grouse  family,  though  only  four  of 
these  are  in  any  way  common.  As  the  wild  turkey  is 
confined  to  the  southern  extremity  of  the  Pacific  Coast 
hunting  grounds,  so  are  the  grouse  principally  found 
in  the  northern  sections.  I  have  met  with  a  few  dusky 
grouse  (Dendragapus  obscurus)  in  the  mountains  of 
Arizona,  but  they  are  by  no  means  plentiful.  There 
were  a  few  and  possibly  is  yet  an  occasional  sooty 
grouse  (Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus)  in  the  moun- 
tains of  southern  California,  but  grouse  in  sufficient 
numbers  to  furnish  any  kind  of  sport  are  not  found 
much  south  of  Yosemite  valley  in  the  Sierras,  or  south 
of  Humboldt  county  in  the  Coast  range.  An  occasional 
pair  or  small  flock,  however,  may  be  met  with  consid- 
erable south  of  the  points  named. 

The  grouse  is  a  northern  bird,  extending  into  far 
colder  regions  than  any  other  subfamily  of  the  gal- 
linaceous group.  The  ptarmigan,  of  course,  are  grouse. 

THE  SOOTY  GROUSE 
(Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus) 

The  sooty  grouse,  commonly  called  blue  grouse  by 
the  sportsmen  of  California,  are  reasonably  plentiful  in 
the  Sierras  from  the  Yosemite  north  into  Oregon,  where 
they  are  quite  plentiful,  and  from  there  through  Wash- 
ington into  Alaska.  It  is  a  mountain  dweller,  being 
found  at  altitudes  fully  9000  feet  above  the  sea.  In 
the  winter  it  descends  to  lower  latitudes,  but  seldom 
below  3000  feet.  It  is  naturally  a  confiding  bird  where 
it  has  not  been  hunted  much,  and  for  this  reason  has 
been  given  the  name,  "fool  hen,"  in  many  localities. 
But  like  most  of  the  feathered  tribe,  it  soon  learns  the 
destructiveness  of  man,  and  after  gaining  this  knowl- 
edge it  is  quite  able  to  take  care  of  itself.  When  flushed 
it  flies  with  a  cackling  sound,  generally  taking  refuge 
in  the  tall  pines,  where  it  is  an  expert  hider.  In  the 
nesting  season  it  produces  a  drumming  sound  and  struts 
like  a  turkey.  This  drumming  is  produced  by  inflating 
an  air  sack  on  each  side  of  the  neck.  Later  in  the  sea- 
son these  sacks  dry  up  and  nearly  disappear.  It's  only 
migrations  are  ascending  and  descending  the  mountains 
with  the  seasons. 

According  to  a  published  statement  of  the  Section  of 
Biological  Survey  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture,  the  food  of  the  sooty  grouse  consists   of 
44 


buds,  seeds,  leaves  and  insects,  of  which  68  per  cent  is 
leaves,  buds  and  the  tender  ends  of  young  twigs;  6.73 
per  cent  insects  and  the  balance  seeds,  berries  and 
the  like.  The  flesh  is  generally  of  a  fine  flavor,  though 
at  times  it  will  be  found  to  be  tainted  a  little  strongly 
with  the  flavor  of  the  pine. 

Color — Male — Back  of  head,  back  of  neck  and  all 
upper  parts,  a  sooty  brown;  light  streak  over  the  eye 
and  a  light  throat;  breast,  a  dead  or  sooty  black;  the 
rest  of  the  under  parts  a  slaty  gray;  tail  tipped  with 
gray. 

Female — Generally  lighter  in  color  but  otherwise  re- 
sembling the  male. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  nothing  more  than 
a  depression  in  the  ground  among  dried  leaves  or  grass, 
well  concealed  from  view.  The  eggs,  which  average 
about  a  dozen,  are  of  a  cream  color,  spotted  with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  from  18  to  22  inches; 
wing,  9  to  9%.  The  weight  will  vary  from  2%  to  4 
pounds. 

THE  OREGON  RUFFED  GROUSE 
(Bonasa  umbellus  sabini) 

The  Oregon  ruffed  grouse  is  the  handsomest  species 
of  the  ruffed  grouse  genus,  and  is  truly  a  beautiful  bird 
with  its  deep,  rich  browns,  orange  and  black.  The  east- 
ern species  of  this  genus  is  wrongly  known  in  the  north 
Atlantic  states  by  the  name  of  partridge,  and  as  wrong- 
ly called  pheasant  in  Virginia  and  some  other  of  the 
southern  states.  The  Pacific  Coast  species  ranges  from 
northern  California  along  the  Coast  range  through 
Oregon,  Washington  and  far  into  British  Columbia. 
It  is  a  wary  bird,  full  of  cunning  and  gamy  qualities. 
The  male  of  this  genus  is,  I  believe,  the  only  member 
of  the  grouse  family  that  drums  all  the  year;  all  others 
confining  their  drumming  to  the  nesting  season.  This 
drumming  is  made  with  the  wings  and  not  by  the  in- 
flation of  an  air  sack  as  with  other  species.  The 
sound,  also,  is  much  different,  having  more  of  a  rolling 
reverberation.  In  the  spring  they  will  take  their  posi- 
tion on  some  rock  or  dead  log  and  strut  back  and  forth 
with  their  heads  thrown  back  and  their  tails  spread  out 
to  show  the  beautiful  hues  of  the  feathers  and  drum 
for  hours  to  attract  the  hens  or  challenge  the  other 
males  to  an  almost  life  and  death  combat,  in  which  they 
fight  in  the  same  manner  as  the  game  cock.  They  live 
among  the  pines,  usually  near  some  little  opening  where 
45 


they  are  fond  of  feeding.  When  startled  they  take  at 
once  to  the  timber  and  are  quickly  lost  to  view.  For 
this  reason  dogs  are  almost  useless  in  hunting  them. 
They  are  never  found  in  numbers  greater  than  a  single 
brood,  even  though  the  brood  may  be  decimated  by 
the  gun  of  the  sportsman  or  the  cunning  of  the  vermin 
to  no  more  than  two  or  three. 

The  flesh  of  the  ruffed  grouse  is  white  and  generally 
tender  and  of  fine  flavor,  although  in  the  late  fall  or 
winter  when  its  food  consists  almost  wholly  of  fir  buds 
it  tastes  quite  strong  of  turpentine.  Its  food  generally 
is  about  the  same  as  the  sooty  grouse  and  in  about  the 
same  percentages. 

Color — Head,  light  chestnut,  the  feathers  on  the  top 
being  long  and  capable  of  erection  when  excited;  a  tuft 
of  long,  rich  brown  feathers  will  be  found  on  each  side 
of  the  neck;  back,  reddish  chestnut  mottled  with  black; 
i'ump  and  tail-coverts,  more  of  a  cinnamon  color 
blotched  with  dark  brown;  flanks,  lighter  and  barred 
with  black;  tail  rusty  brown  barred  with  deep  brown 
and  tipped  with  two  bands  of  gray,  separated  by  a 
streak  of  black;  under  tail-coverts,  orange,  barred  with 
black  and  tipped  with  white;  wing  feathers,  brown  with 
a  central  stripe  of  light  yellow. 

The  female  is  marked  the  same  but  somewhat  lighter 
in  coloring. 

Nest  and  Eggs— The  nest,  like  that  of  all  the  gallin- 
aceous birds,  is  made  on  the  ground  and  hidden  away 
in  some  thick  cluster  of  brush  or  beneath  some  log. 
The  eggs  are  of  a  buff  color  spotted  with  dark  brown, 
and  number  from  ten  to  fifteen. 

Measurements — Total  length  from  16  to  19  inches; 
wing  about  7  or  8  inches.  Weight  about  2  pounds. 

THE  CANADIAN  RUFFED  GROUSE 
(Bonasa  umbellus  togata) 

The  Canadian  ruffed  grouse  ranges  through  the  east- 
ern side  of  the  Cascade  mountains  of  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington, but  does  not  pass  over  to  the  Pacific  side.  It 
resembles  the  Oregon  ruffed  grouse  very  closely  except 
that  it  is  much  lighter  in  color,  and  the  female  either 
lacks  the  tults  of  feathers  on  the  neck  entirely,  or  where 
present,  they  are  very  small.  Like  the  Oregon  species 
it  is  a  dweller  in  the  heavy  timber,  and  follow  the 
same  habits  in  most  all  respects.  It  is  of  a  more  con- 
fiding nature,  however,  often  sitting  unconcerned  upon 
a  tree  while  several  of  its  companions  are  being  siiot, 
47 


making  no  effort  to  get  away  or  sp.ve  itself  from  the 
same  fate. 

Color — The  color  of  this  species  is  more  of  a  grayish 
brown  than  the  Oregon  species,  and  lacking  that  rich 
chestnut  that  adds  so  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  latter. 
The  brown  markings,  however,  are  possibly  a  little  more 
conspicuous.  The  upper  tail  feathers  are  more  of  a 
blue,  mottled  and  barred  with  a  blackish  brown.  A 
large  tuft  of  feathers  on  each  side  of  the  neck  of  a 
smoky  brown,  edged  with  metallic  green.  Unlike  the 
Oregon  species  these  feathers  are  entirely  absent  or 
very  small  on  the  female. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  and  eggs  are  the  same  as 
the  Oregon  grouse. 

Measurements — In  size  the  two  species  do  not  vary  to 
any  considerable  extent. 

THE  SPRUCE  GROUSE 

(Dendragapus  franklini) 

The  spruce  or  Franklin  grouse  of  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington is  a  species  of  the  Canadian  spruce  grouse,  and 
ranges  diagonally  through  the  mountains  of  eastern 
Oregon  and  Washington,  and  thence  to  the  coast  of 
British  Columbia.  It  confines  its  habitat  to  the  higher 
mountains,  being  seldom  found  below  an  elevation  of 
four  to  five  thousand  feet.  This  is  another  of  the  grouse 
family  that  has  been  given  the  name  of  "fool  hen,"  on 
account  of  its  naturally  tame  nature.  When  sitting  on 
the  limb  of  a  tree,  but  a  few  feet  above  the  ground,  it 
considers  itself  safe  from  all  harm  and  makes  little 
effort  to  escape,  and  may  often  be  killed  with  a  stick. 
There  is  little  sport  in  shooting  this  variety.  The  food 
of  this  species,  like  all  other  mountain  dwelling  grouse, 
is  buds,  tender  shoots  and  seeds,  berries  and  insects 
when  obtainable. 

Color — Male — Upper  parts  gray,  the  central  back  and 
the  wings  having  a  brownish  hue;  the  tail-coverts,  which 
are  tipped  with  broad  splashes  of  white  is  a  distin- 
guishing feature  of  this  species;  feathers,  on  the  flanks 
tipped  broadly  with  white,  throat,  black,  imperfectly 
edged  with  white;  tail,  nearly  square  at  the  end  and  of 
a  brownish  color. 

Female — Considerably  more  of  an  ochreous  cast.  It 
has  the  same  characteristic  broad  white  tips  on  the 
feathers  of  the  flanks;  tail,  dirty  ochre,  mottled  with 
black  and  narrowly  tipped  with  white. 

Nest  and  Eggs— The  nest  is  a  depression  in  the 
49 


ground  in  some  secluded  place  and  lined  with  leaves 
or  grass.  The  eggs,  averaging  about  a  dozen,  are  of 
a  reddish  buff  mottled  with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length  about  15  inches;  wing 
about  7  inches.  Weight  from  one  and  a  half  to  two 
pounds. 

THE  SAGE  HEN 

(Centrocercus  urophasianus) 

The  sage  grouse,  or  sage  hen  is  the  largest  of  the 
grouse  of  America,  some  of  the  males  weighing  as  much 
as  seven  pounds.  Its  range,  so  far  as  the  geographical 
scope  of  this  work  is  concerned,  is  northeastern  Cali- 
fornia, Nevada,  and  eastern  Oregon  and  Washington, 
but  it  extends  much  farther  east.  It  is  only  found  in 
the  sage  brush  districts  of  the  high  altitudes.  They 
usually  remain  in  single  broods,  though  they  are  some- 
times found  in  much  larger  flocks.  They  often  travel 
for  considerable  distances,  "following  the  leader"  in 
single  file.  They  strut  in  the  nesting  season,  but  in  a 
peculiar  way,  pushing  their  breasts  on  the  ground  until 
the  feathers  are  worn  off  and  even  the  skin  abraded. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  sage  grouse  is  that  it  has  no 
gizzard,  but  instead  it  has  a  stomach  more  like  that  of 
an  animal.  The  young  birds  lie  quite  well  to  a  dog  and 
furnish  very  good  sport,  and  until  they  are  about  half 
grown  the  flesh  is  quite  good,  but  the  older  birds  are 
very  unsavory  and  in  fact  almost  unpalatable.  This  is 
caused  by  their  feeding  almost  entirely  upon  the  leaves 
of  the  sage. 

Color — Male — Upper  parts,  gray,  barred  with  brown; 
tail,  very  long,  the  longer  feathers  being  quite  narrow 
and  stiff  and  barred  also  with  brown;  a  dark  line  over 
the  eye  and  a  light  one  from  the  eye  down  the  side  of 
the  neck;  throat  and  cheeks,  nearly  white,  mottled 
with  black;  a  few  long  hairy  like  feathers  grow  from 
the  side  of  the  neck  of  the  male  birds. 

Female — The  female  is  colored  and  marked  like  the 
male  but  considerably  darker,  is  much  smaller,  with 
shorter  tail  and  without  the  hairy  feathers  on  the  side 
of  the  neck. 

Nest  and  Eggs— The  nest  is  nothing  more  than  a  hol- 
low in  the  midst  of  some  bunch  of  brush,  possibly  lined 
with  a  few  leaves.  The  eggs  are  from  twelve  to  eigh- 
teen in  number  and  of  a  greenish  shade,  mottled  with 
bright  brown,  but  these  spots  are  easily  rubbed  off. 

Measurements — Male — Total  length  from  24  to  28 
-  51 


inches;    wing,   12   to  14.  Weight,  from   four  to  seven 
pounds. 

Female — Total  length,  from  20  to  22  inches;    wing, 

10  to  12.     Weight,  from  three  to  five  pounds. 

COLUMBIAN  SHARP-TAILED  GROUSE 
(Pediocaetes  phasianellus  columbianus) 

The  Columbian  sharp-tailed  grouse  is  the  "prairie 
chicken"  of  eastern  Washington.  It  is  far  different 
from  the  pinated  grouse  (Tympanuchus)  of  the  middle 
states,  commonly  called  prairie  chicken.  Its  habitat 
is  much  the  same,  however,  being  the  open  plains  and 
untimbered  foothills  east  of  the  Cascade  mountains  in 
Washington  and  through  eastern  Oregon  into  northern 
Nevada,  and  the  extreme  northeastern  corner  of  Cali- 
fornia. The  sharp-tail  grouse  has  the  same  habit  of 
strutting  in  large  groups  like  the  prairie  chicken  at  the 
beginning  of  the  nesting  season.  They  do  not  drum, 
however,  like  the  eastern  bird,  but  make  a  noise  more 
like  an  attempt  to  crow.  They  also  take  refuge  in  the 
timber  for  protection  from  the  storms  of  winter. 

During  the  hunting  season  they  lie  well  to  a  dog  and 
afford  fine  shooting.  The  food  of  the  sharp-tailed  grouse 
consists  of  about  ten  per  cent  insects,  the  balance  being 
made  up  of  seeds,  grains  and  berries,  with  a  good  per- 
centage of  "brouse"  in  the  winter. 

Color — Male — Side  of  head  and  throat,  pale  buff  with 
mottlings  of  brown  on  the  cheeks ;  back  and  wings,  gray, 
mottled  with  black;  breast,  light  buff.  Under  parts, 
white  with  lines  of  dark  brown;  central  tail  feathers 
long  and  pointed;  no  long  feathers  on  the  neck. 

Female— Resembles  the  male  with  the  exception  that 
the  tail  feathers  are  not  so  long. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  a  rude  affair  on  the 
ground,  lined  with  a  little  dead  grass  and  generally 
contains  from  ten  to  fifteen  eggs  of  a  greenish  buff 
speckled  with  fine  dots  of  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length  from  14  to  16  inches, 
with  the  wing  about  eight;  the  central  tail  feathers  are 
about  five  inches  in  length.  The  average  bird  will  weigh 
about  two  pounds. 


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THE  WATERFOWL 

The  great  variety  of  the  waterfowl  of  the  Pacific 
Coast,  the  wonderful  numbers  in  which  they  are  found 
and  the  excellent  shooting  they  afford,  forms  a  subject, 
which,  to  do  it  justice,  would  require  the  space  of  an 
ordinary  volume. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Gulf  tier  of  the  Southern 
states,  waterfowl  on  the  Atlantic  Coast  are  but  birds  of 
passage,  tarrying  for  a  time  on  their  way  to  milder 
winter  quarters;  tourists  loitering  for  a  day  or  two  at 
attractive  by-stations  as  they  wing  their  way  south  in 
the  fall  and  again  on  their  return  north  in  the  spring. 
They  are  leaving  the  isolation  of  the  far  north  or  the 
mountain  lakes  and  marshes  where  they  spent  the  sum- 
mer rearing  their  young  and  they  are  seeking  more 
favorable  feeding  grounds  in  the  milder  climate  of  the 
South,  where  animal  and  vegetable  life  is  not  in  the 
state  of  hibernation  which  prevents  it  from  furnishing 
them  with  an  abundance  of  food  during  their  southern 
sojourn. 

Over  the  larger  portion  of  our  hunting  grounds  what 
is  the  beginning  of  the  calendar  year  is  in  fact  the  be- 
ginning of  our  spring.  When  the  frost  king  lays  his 
hand  upon  all  vegetable  and  insect  life  in  the  East, 
spreading  his  white  shroud  over  field  and  pasture  and 
breaking  with  his  icy  sleet  from  the  vine  and  the  brush 
their  clinging  leaves;  when  from  the  trees  have  fallen 
the  last  vestige  of  their  autumnal  crowns  of  gold  and 
crimson;  when  the  last  flower  has  shed  its  petals;  when 
the  last  hum  of  insect  is  heard  and  the  last  song  of 
bird  has  died  away  on  the  southern  horizon — 'tis  then 
the  early  rains  of  the  Coast  start  the  new  sown  grain 
in  the  fields,  give  life  again  to  the  grasses  of  the  plains, 
carpet  the  foothills  and  the  valleys  with  the  gold  and 
purple  and  crimson  of  innumerable  flowers,  and  our 
\.~ritable  spring  commences. 

With  us,  therefore,  waterfowl  are  not  passing  pil- 
grims, tarrying  for  a  few  days  only  as  they  rest  and 
feed  on  their  way  to  the  open  waters  and  green  pas- 
tures in  which  they  intend  to  pass  those  months  marked 
winter  on  the  calendar  of  the  year.  They  are  not  mere 
hurrying  flocks  alighting  now  and  again  as  they  wing 
their  way  back  to  their  breeding  grounds  in  the  spring 
But  ours  is  the  mecca  to  which  they  journey;  ours  the 
feeding  grounds  on  which  they  assemble  from  the  lakes 
and  marshes  of  the  Arctic;  from  the  whole  chain  of  the 
Aleutian  Islands;  from  the  inland  seas  of  British  Colum- 
55 


bia  and  from  the  mountain  lakes  of  our  own  Sierras 
from  Washington  to  Mexico.  Here  on  the  bays,  estu- 
aries and  marshes  of  the  coast  and  the  lakes  and  ponds 
of  the  valleys,  throughout  the  whole  length  of  theae 
hunting  grounds,  countless  millions  of  *hese  bird?,  have 
found  their  winter  feeding  grounds  for  unnumbered 
ages.  No  cold,  no  ice,  no  snow,  no  howling  blizzards  to 
stop  them  in  their  search  for  food  or  disturb  their  mid- 
day rest  upon  our  quiet  waters.  In  warmth  they  feed 
upon  the  tender  shoots  of  the  young  grasses  that  fringe 
their  watery  haunts  or  bask  in  sunshine  on  the  sandy 
shores. 

It  is  the  popular  impression  that  all  ducks  breed  in 
the  far  north  and  migrate  from  thev^  south.  One  has 
only  to  shoot  on  the  lakes  of  Mexico  to  learn  how  er- 
roneous this  impression  is,  for  one  will  meet  varieties 
quite  common  there  that  rarely  if  ever  reach  the  south- 
ern boundaries  of  the  United  States. 

The  masked  duck  (Nomonyx  dominicus)  is  a  purely 
southern  species  reaching  Mexico  only  in  its  breeding 
season.  The  three  species  of  the  Mexican  tree  duck, 
quite  common  in  that  country,  come  but  little  into  the 
United  States.  One  of  these,  the  black-bellied  tree  duck 
(Dendrosygna  autumnalis)  migrates  to  some  little  ex- 
tent into  Texas  and  to  less  extent  into  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona.  The  fulvous  tree  duck  (Dendrosygna  fulva) 
extends  its  migrations  still  farther  north,  breeding  to 
considerable  extent  in  Arizona  and  southern  California, 
but  rarely  seen  as  far  north  as  the  center  of  the  state. 
The  other  species  of  the  genus  (Dendrosygna  elegans), 
for  which  I  know  no  English  name,  is  even  rare  as  far 
south  as  southern  Jalisco.  The  cinnamon  teal  is  a  south- 
ern duck,  breeding  in  Arizona,  Texas  and  southern 
California  but  so  rarely  seen  north  of  San  Francisco 
that  a  gentleman  who  had  killed  a  straggler  near  Marys- 
ville,  when  showing  it  to  me,  said  that  he  couldn't  find 
a  man  in  the  town  who  could  tell  him  what  it  was. 
Yet  the  cinnamon  teal  is  very  common  in  Mexico  and 
Arizona  and  quite  plentiful  in  southern  California  in 
the  spring,  before  the  flocks  break  up  and  the  birds 
seek  their  nesting  places. 

Northern  bred  ducks  and  purely  northern  species  visit 
us  in  great  numbers  during  the  winter  months,  and  to 
these  must  be  added  the  vast  number  of  these  birds 
that  breed  in  the  mountains  throughout  our  hunting 
grounds. 

The  ornithologist  divides  the  ducks  into  two  sub- 
families; the  fresh-water  ducks  forming  the  subfamily, 
57 


Anatinae,  and  the  salt-water  ducks  the  subfamily, 
Fu'ligilinas.  These  two  families  can  easily  be  distin- 
guished by  their  feet.  If  a  salt-water  duck,  the  hind 
toe  will  be  found  to  have  a  small  web  or  flap  on  the 
under  side,  but  if  the  bird  belongs  to  the  fresh-water 
group,  the  toe  will  be  as  clean  as  any  land  bird. 

THE  MALLARD 

(Anas  boschas) 

The  mallard  is  possibly  the  best  known  duck  in  Amer- 
ica, it  being  found  in  greater  or  less  numbers  every- 
where from  the  Arctic  to  Central  America.  It  is  a  resi- 
dent species  throughout  the  Pacific  Coast,  breeding  on 
the  mountain  lakes  and  streams  from  Mexico  to  Alaska, 
and  even  to  a  considerable  extent  on  the  lower  marshes 
of  California,  Oregon  and  Washington.  On  the  fresh 
water  ponds  and  overflows  they  congregate  in  great 
numbers  during  the  winter  months  and  a  bag  limit  of 
twenty  is  no  uncommon  thing.  Like  all  of  the  fresh- 
water ducks  of  this  Coast,  they,  too,  are  often  found 
in  considerable  numbers  on  the  tide  lands  and  salt 
marshes. 

The  mallard  of  the  Pacific  Coast  can  hardly  be  said 
to  be  a  migratory  duck,  for  it  breeds  from  Mexico  north. 
Its  migrations  consisting  more  of  altitudinal  move- 
ments than  of  longitudinal.  While  it  breeds  on  the 
mountain  lakes  of  Mexico,  it  is  rarely  seen  in  the  higher 
altitudes  during  the  winter  months. 

Hybrids  between  the  mallard  and  the  pintail  and 
the  mallard  and  the  widgeon  have  been  occasionally 
met  with  on  the  marshes  of  the  Coast.  This  is  most 
likely  caused  by  the  mating  of  cripples  that  had  not  the 
strength  to  make  the  flight  to  their  usual  breeding 
grounds. 

Color— Male — Head  and  neck,  dark  green  with  a  me- 
tallic luster;  white  ring  around  the  neck  at  the  bottom 
of  the  green;  back,  gray;  breast,  chestnut  brown;  un- 
der parts  dirty  white;  tail,  black  with  two  feathers 
curled  upwards;  speculum,  (see  diagram)  purple,  bor- 
dered with  black  and  white. 

Female — Head,  dark  buff;  breast,  lighter  buff  with 
brown  mottlings;  legs,  orange  colored;  speculum  same 
as  the  male;  bill,  yellow,  blotched  with  brown. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  and 
lined  with  grass,  feathers  and  down.  The  eggs  num- 
ber eight  to  a  dozen  and  are  of  a  greenish  tinge. 

Measurements — Male — Total  length,  from  20  to  25 
59 


inches;  wing,  10  to  12  inches;  bill,  2%  inches. 

Female— Total  length,  from  18  to  20  inches;  wing,  9 
to  10  inches;  bill,  2  to  2%  inches. 

THE  GADWALL 

(Anas  strepera) 

The  gadwall  was  at  one  time  quite  plentiful  on  the 
shooting  grounds  of  California,  south  of  San  Francisco; 
but,  on  account  of  our  season  opening  later  and  closing 
earlier  than  in  years  past,  few  are  killed  now.  The 
gadwall  is  really  a  southern  duck,  coming  into  the 
United  States  to  breed.  When  the  California  season 
opened  on  the  first  of  September  and  closed  the  first 
of  April,  there  were  plenty  of  gadwall  found  on  its 
ponds  in  the  early  fall  and  late  in  the  spring.  Now, 
but  few  are  killed  except  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
state.  Such  as  are  killed  are  generally  found  on  the 
mountain  lakes  and  ponds  of  the  higher  valleys.  On 
the  waters  of  Mexico  and  Lower  California,  however, 
they  are  met  with  in  good  numbers. 

The  gadwall,  however,  migrates  as  far  north  as  British 
Columbia  for  breeding  purposes  as  well  as  breeding  on 
the  mountain  lakes  of  all  the  territory  through  which 
it  ranges. 

Color — Head,  light  brown,  finely  mottled  with  dark 
brown  and  black;  neck  and  breast,  finely  streaked  with 
wavy  black  and  white;  under  parts,  grayish  white; 
rump  and  tail,  black;  speculum,  black  and  white,  with 
the  lesser  wing-coverts  chestnut;  feet,  orange,  and  bill 
nearly  white. 

Female — Closely  resembling  the  male  but  with  very 
little  chestnut  on  the  wings. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  which  is  usually  made  a 
little  way  back  from  the  water  is  lined  with  dead  grass, 
and  contains  from  ten  to  twelve  eggs  of  a  light  buff 
color. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  19  inches;  wing, 
10,  and  bill,  1.60. 

THE  WIDGEON 

(Anas  Americana) 

The  widgeon  is  one  of  the  most  common  ducks  of  the 
Coast,  both  north  and  south.  As  well  as  being  one  of 
the  most  plentiful  of  the  interior  lakes  and  ponds,  they 
are  found  in  great  numbers  on  the  salt  marshes  and 
tide  overflows,  and  even  form  great  dark  patches  on 
61 


the  ocean  as  they  take  their  midday  rest  on  its  bosom 
a  mile  or  so  beyond  the  surf.  They  breed  on  the  moun- 
tain lakes  and  streams  all  along  the  Coast  from  Mexico 
north. 

The  widgeon  begins  its  migrations  early  in  the  fall 
and  great  numbers  find  their  way  as  far  south  as  the 
Coast  marshes  and  lower  lakes  of  Mexico.  They  feed 
largely  on  the  plains  and  frequent  the  fields  in  search 
of  grain.  In  migrating  or  flying  from  pond  to  pond 
they  usually  go  in  quite  large  flocks. 

Color — Male — Head,  pinkish  white  on  top,  with  a 
greenish  streak  from  the  eye  back  to  the  ociput;  be- 
low this  the  head  and  neck  are  speckled  with  black 
and  white;  back  and  wing-coverts,  gray  with  fine  mark- 
ings of  black;  breast,  a  light  brick  red  with  a  purplish 
cast;  speculum,  black  and  green.  Axillars,  white  with 
dark  shafts. 

Female — The  female  resembles  the  male  in  all  but 
the  green  on  the  head  and  the  reddish  color  of  the 
breast. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  generally  built  in  some 
tuft  of  grass  or  thick  weeds  near  some  water's  edge. 
The  eggs  average  about  a  dozen  and  are  of  very  light 
brownish  white. 

Measurements — Total  length,  18  inches;  wing  9%, 
and  bill,  1%. 

GREEN-WINGED  TEAL 

(Anas  carolinensis) 

The  green-winged  teal  is  another  variety  that  is  very 
plentiful  on  the  Coast,  breeding  in  great  numbers  on 
our  mountain  lakes  and  along  the  streams  from  Mexico 
to  Alaska,  and  even  to  considerable  extent  on  the  lower 
marshes,  especially  from  central  California  north.  While 
many  of  these  are  killed  on  the  salt  marshes  and  tide 
lands,  they  are  more  generally  frequenters  of  the  in- 
land ponds  and  overflows.  Nesting  late  and  maturing 
early,  they  are  both  a  late  and  early  duck  on  our  shoot- 
ing grounds,  and  remain  constantly  with  us  during  the 
whole  winter.  Shooting  on  a  pass  over  which  the  teal 
are  flying  from  one  pond  to  another  furnishes  about  the 
finest  sport  of  the  duck  shooter's  life.  In  such  cases 
they  come  in  small  flocks,  and  single  birds  must  be 
selected;  being  a  small  mark  and  very  rapid  flyers  they 
require  a  good  lead  and  quick  work.  In  fact,  a  brace 
of  green-winged  teal  with  a  pressing  engagement  at 


the  next  pond  makes  about  as  pretty  a  target  as  the 
sportsman  often  fires  at. 

The  green-winged  teal,  like  the  widgeon,  feeds  a 
great  deal  on  the  plains  and  in  the  fields. 

Color — Male — Top  of  head  and  neck,  brown  of  a  chest- 
nut tinge,  the  feathers  forming  almost  a  crest;  a  broad 
stripe  of  green  runs  back  from  the  eye  to  the  neck; 
back  and  sides,  mottled  gray;  breast,  buff,  shaded  to 
white  on  the  abdomen  and  spotted  with  black;  specu- 
lum, green. 

Female — The  top  of  the  head  of  the  female  is  a  rusty 
brown,  and  with  a  very  faint  stripe  on  the  sides;  upper 
parts,  gray,  spotted  with  black;  speculum,  green. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  of  the  green-winged  teal  is 
generally  a  little  more  carefully  made  than  most  of 
the  ground  nesting  ducks.  The  eggs  average  about  ten 
and  are  of  a  light  brownish  buff. 

Measurements — The  green-winged  teal  is  the  smallest 
of  the  fresh-water  ducks.  Total  length,  about  14  inches; 
wing,  T1^;  bill,  1%  inches. 

THE  CINNAMON  TEAL 
(Anas  cyanoptera) 

The  cinnamon  teal,  very  commonly  called  the  blue- 
winged  teal  by  the  sportsmen  of  the  Coast,  is  only  a 
late  fall  and  early  spring  bird  on  our  shooting  grounds 
north  of  Lower  California  and  Mexico.  While  the  cin- 
namon teal  has  a  blue  wing  there  is  no  resemblance 
between  the  male  cinnamon  and  the  male  blue-winged. 
The  females  of  the  two  species,  however,  have  a  marked 
resemblance  in  color  but  a  wide  difference  in  shape  of 
body.  The  female  cinnamon  teal  is  much  darker  on 
the  throat  than  the  blue-winged  female,  and  generally 
shows  a  considerable  of  the  cinnamon  color  of  the  male. 
The  male  of  the  blue-winged  teal  partakes  more  of  the 
grayish  color  of  the  green-winged  variety  and  has  a 
white  crescent  in  front  of  the  eye.  The  northern  limit 
of  the  cinnamon  teal  is  about  the  latitude  of  San  Fran- 
cisco so  far  as  their  appearance  on  our  shooting  grounds 
is  concerned.  A  few,  however,  go  farther  north  for 
breeding  purposes.  They  are  quite  common  in  the 
southern  part  of  California,  where  they  come  to  breed. 
They  winter  in  Mexico,  Lower  California  and  Arizona 
in  great  numbers.  They  nest  on  the  mountain  lakes 
and  along  the  mountain  streams  of  California  and  even 
as  far  north  as  Oregon.  In  southern  California  they 
65 


nest  along  the  salt-water  marshes,  especially  those  of 
Los  Angeles,  Orange  and  San  Diego  counties. 

Color — Male — The  male  bird  cannot  well  be  mistaken 
for  that  of  any  other  species.  The  general  color  being 
a  dark  cinnamon,  or  in  fact  much  nearer  a  chestnut  in 
color;  the  head  being  somewhat  darker  than  the  rest 
of  the  bird;  the  upper  wing-coverts  being  blue,  form  a 
large  patch  of  blue  at  the  shoulders  when  the  wing  is 
at  rest;  the  speculum,  like  that  of  all  the  teal  is  green. 

Female — The  female  resembles  the  female  of  the 
blue-winged  teal,  but  is  a  little  larger  with  a  longer  and 
slimmer  body;  the  chin  is  dusky  and  the  throat  is 
speckled;  the  breast  also  has  a  slight  tinge  of  the  cin- 
namon color  of  the  male. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  built  generally  in  long 
grass  patches  of  the  low  grounds  bordering  the  streams 
and  lakes  and  even  the  salt  marshes.  The  eggs  which 
average  about  a  dozen  are  of  a  peculiar  light  creamy 
coior  with  a  faint  bluish  tinge. 

Measurements — Total  length,  16  inches;  wing,  7%; 
bill,  1%. 

THE  BLUE-WINGED  TEAL 

(Anas  discors) 

The  blue-winged  teal  is  only  a  straggler  north  of 
Lower  California,  Arizona  and  Mexico.  In  Mexico  and 
Lower  California  I  know  them  to  be  quite  common,  and 
reasonably  plentiful  in  some  parts  of  Arizona. 

The  blue-winged  teal  is  a  plumper  bird  than  either 
of  the  other  species,  and  not  near  so  handsomely 
marked.  It  is  a  rapid  flyer  and  affords  good  shooting  in 
those  sections  where  it  is  plentiful. 

Color — Male — Head,  a  glossy  purplish  gray,  darker  on 
top;  between  the  eye  and  the  bill  is  a  white  crescent- 
shaped  mark  about  one-fourth  wider  in  its  center  than 
the  eye;  the  wing-coverts  are  blue  like  those  of  the 
cinnamon  teal;  back,  dark  gray;  under  parts,  gray, 
spotted  with  black;  speculum,  rich  green;  bill,  black, 
and  legs  and  feet,  yellow. 

Female — The  female  resembles  the  female  of  the  cin- 
namon teal;  but  unlike  the  cinnamon  it  has  no  dark 
markings  under  the  chin,  or  any  of  the  cinnamon  color 
faintly  seen  on  the  cinnamon  female.  The  bill  also  is 
much  shorter,  and  the  legs  are  of  a  yellowish  tinge. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  much  the  same  as  the 
other  members  of  the  teal  family.     The  eggs  about  a 
dozen  in  number  are  pale  buff. 
67 


Measurements — Total  length,  15  inches;  wing,  about  7, 
and  bill,  1%  inches. 

THE  SPOON-BILL  OR  SHOVELLER 

(Spatula  cylpeata) 

The  shoveler,  or  spoonbill,  as  they  are  commonly 
called,  is  also  an  early  duck  upon  our  ponds;  they,  too, 
breed  throughout  the  mountains  of  our  hunting  grounds. 
When  they  first  arrive  on  our  ponds  they  are  very  fat 
and  finely  flavored,  but  they  soon  become  poor  of  flesh 
and  lose  the  flavor  brought  with  them  from  their  moun- 
tain homes.  And  then  they  are  generally  let  pass  un- 
disturbed by  the  discriminating  sportsman. 

Color — Male — Head  and  neck,  green;  breast,  white, 
shading  into  rusty  chestnut  toward  the  abdomen;  lesser 
wing-coverts,  blue;  speculum,  green,  with  white  border; 
legs,  orange  red. 

Female— The  female  is  much  smaller  than  the  male 
and  lacks  all  its  high  coloring.  The  general  color  is 
buff,  mottled  with  brown;  wing-coverts  and  speculum, 
same  as  the  male. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest,  which  is  a  rude  affair,  gen- 
erally contains  from  seven  to  ten  eggs  of  a  light  buff 
color. 

Measurements — Total  length  of  the  male,  about  20 
and  the  female,  18  inches;  wing,  9  to  9*4;  bill,  about 
2%  to  2%  inches,  and  very  broad  at  the  end. 

THE  PIN-TAIL 
(Dafila  acuta) 

The  pin-tail,  or  sprig  is  another  very  common  duck 
of  the  Coast.  Great  numbers  of  this  species  breed  on 
our  mountain  lakes  and,  maturing  early,  they  are  about 
the  first  to  appear  upon  our  shooting  grounds,  great 
flocks  reaching  as  far  south  as  San  Diego  county,  the 
mouth  of  the  Colorado  river  and  the  lakes  and  marshes 
of  Lower  California,  Arizona  and  northern  Mexico  as 
early  as  the  middle  of  August  or  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber. They  come  from  the  mountains  plump  and  fat,  and 
as  soon  as  the  shooting  season  is  open  prove  quite  ac- 
ceptable to  the  epicure. 

The  pin-tail  ranges  throughout  the  territory  covered 
by  this  work  and  far  to  the  north  of  it,  and  the  fact  that 
they  breed  around  the  mountain  lakes  for  the  whole  dis- 
tance accounts  for  their  early  appearance  on  the  shoot- 
ing grounds  of  the  Coast. 

fi9 


Color — Male — Head  and  neck,  rich  brown,  with  a 
white  stripe  running  from  the  ociput  down  the  sides  of 
the  neck  to  the  breast;  bill,  lead  color,  with  a  black 
stripe  along  the  top;  back,  gray;  breast,  white;  central 
tail  feathers,  very  long  and  pointed;  speculum,  light 
smoky  brown,  edged  with  white. 

Female — The  female  is  much  more  of  an  ocher  brown 
than  the  male,  and  without  the  stripe  on  the  neck  or 
the  lead  color  of  the  bill.  The  top  of  the  head  and  the 
sides  of  the  neck  are  streaked  with  brown;  breast, 
spotted  with  dark  brown;  under  parts,  white.  While 
it  somewhat  resembles  the  female  mallard,  the  much 
narrower  bill  and  difference  of  the  speculum  should 
prevent  any  error  in  identification.  Besides  the  tail  is 
pointed  and  the  axillars  are  white,  barred  with  dark 
brown. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  back  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  water's  edge  and  contains  from  eight  to 
twelve  bluish-white  eggs. 

Measurements — Total  length,  male,  28  and  female,  22 
inches;  wing,  9%;  bill,  2  inches. 

THE  WOOD  DUCK 
(Aix  sponsa) 

The  wood  duck,  the  handsomest  of  all  the  American 
ducks,  is  not  plentiful  anywhere,  and  seems  to  be  grow- 
ing fewer  in  numbers.  Ornithologists  class  them  as  resi- 
dent ducks,  breeding  throughout  their  range.  From  my 
personal  experience  I  believe  that  they  are  migratory, 
at  least  to  a  considerable  extent,  for  while  many  flocks 
of  from  half  a  dozen  to  twenty  birds  can  be  seen  along 
the  timbered  portions  of  the  Sacramento  river  during 
the  summer  months  and  the  early  fall,  as  well  as  along 
other  wooded  streams  of  the  Coast,  few  are  to  be  seen 
during  the  shooting  season.  From  this  fact  I  can  draw 
but  one  conclusion;  they  migrate  south  in  the  winter. 
A  few  are  killed  each  winter  but  they  can  only  be  con- 
sidered a  rare  duck  whose  beauty  lends  an  occasional 
charm  to  the  game  bag. 

Color — Male — The  male  has  a  long  crest  falling  down 
the  back  of  the  neck  and  showing  a  green  and  purple 
luster;  the  bill  is  red  with  a  dark  stripe  on  top;  a 
broad  stripe  of  white  commences  under  the  bill  and 
passes  down  the  neck,  meeting  another  stripe  of  white 
that  nearly  encompasses  the  neck;  sides  and  front  of 
lower  neck,  brownish  purple,  dotted  with  white;  back, 
71 


a  bronze  green;  speculum,  bluish  purple,  bordered  with 
black  and  white. 

Female — The  general  plan  of  the  markings  of  the 
female  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  male,  but  the  colors 
are  not  so  bright,  nor  the  crest  so  long.  The  crest  is 
more  of  a  brown,  and  the  breast  a  pale  brown,  mottled 
with  dark  spots. 

Nest  and  Eggs— The  nest  is  built  in  the  hollow  of  a 
tree  or  stump,  and  occasionally  a  considerable  distance 
above  the  ground.  The  eggs,  which  average  about  eight, 
are  of  a  pale  brownish  white.  The  young  are  taken 
from  the  nest  in  the  bill  of  the  mother,  and  are  often 
seen  perched  on  her  back  while  she  is  swimming  around 
in  search  of  food. 

Measurements — Total  length  of  the  male,  about  18 
inches,  with  the  female  about  an  inch  less;  wing,  9*4  to 
9V2;  bill  1%  inches. 

THE  FULVUS  TREE  DUCK 
(Dendrocygna  fulva) 

The  fulvous  tree-duck,  commonly  called  the  Mexican 
tree-duck,  and  cavalier,  as  well  as  the  black-bellied  tree- 
duck  (Dendrosygna  autumnalis),  according  to  the  classi- 
fication of  the  ornithologist,  belong  to  the  subfamily, 
Anserinae,  the  same  family  as  the  geese.  The  fact  that 
they  have  a  bill  more  like  that  of  the  goose  than  any 
other  duck,  a  goose  neck  also,  and  that  there  is  no  dif- 
ference in  the  sexes  will  show  the  reason  for  such  classi- 
fication. Their  generic  name,  however,  signifies  tree- 
swan.  The  fulvous  tree-duck  ranges  on  our  hunting 
grounds  as  far  north  as  Sacramento,  where  occasional- 
ly one  is  killed.  They  come  here  only  to  breed  and, 
therefore,  late  in  the  season.  Quite  a  few  are  killed  in 
southern  California,  and  from  Arizona  and  Lower  Cali- 
fornia south  they  are  very  plentiful.  The  black-bellied 
tree-duck  is  only  met  with  as  a  straggler  north  of  Chi- 
huahua, Mexico.  Another  species  of  the  same  genus 
(Dendrosygna  elegans)  is  a  still  more  southern  bird, 
seldom  seen  north  of  the  state  of  Guerrero. 

Color — Sides  of  head  and  neck  and  lower  parts,  buff; 
top  of  head,  back  of  neck  and  back,  dark  brown;  wings, 
dark  brown;  neck,  long  and  slim;  bill,  resembles  that 
of  a  goose  very  much.  Both  sexes  alike. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  generally  built  in  a 
hollow  tree  or  stump.  The  eggs  number  from  ten  to 
fifteen  and  are  of  an  ochreous  white. 

Measurements — Wing,  about  9l/2;  bill,  1%  inches. 
72 


Order,  ANSERES 

Family.   AXATIDAE  Sub-family,  ANATINAE 
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THE  BAY  AND  SEA  DUCKS 

As  I  have  already  stated  the  ducks  are  divided  into 
two  subfamilies,  the  one  the  Anatinae,  commonly  called 
fresh-water  ducks,  the  other  the  Fuligulinae,  commonly 
known  as  the  salt-water  ducks.  A  distinguishing  feature 
of  the  salt-water  ducks  is  the  little  flap  or  web  on  the 
hind  toe,  which  is  not  seen  in  the  fresh-water  varieties. 

On  our  shooting  grounds,  however,  whether  the  blind 
is  on  the  salt-water  marsh  or  the  fresh-water  pond,  both 
kinds  are  sure  to  fall  to  the  gun  in  almost  equal  num- 
bers. Of  the  more  common  of  the  fresh-water  varieties 
the  gadwall  and  the  mallard  are  seen  the  least  on  the 
salt  marshes  and  the  tide  overflows,  yet  even  these  are 
quite  often  met  with  in  these  places.  So  it  is  with  the 
salt-water  species.  All  except  the  scoters  are  frequent- 
ers of  the  mountain  lakes,  fresh-water  ponds  and  over- 
flow. The  red-head,  both  species  of  the  scaups,  the 
canvasback  and  the  ruddy  are  commonly  found  on  the 
fresh-waters.  The  ring-neck,  and,  in  fact,  the  red-head 
are  much  more  common  on  these  waters  than  on  the 
salt  or  brackish  marshes. 

With  the  exception,  therefore,  that  certain  species 
always  predominate  at  a  given  place  at  certain  times 
of  the  season,  the  sportsman's  aim  brings  down  a  well- 
assorted  bag,  let  him  shoot  where  he  may,  on  marsh, 
pond  or  overflow,  from  Washington  to  Mexico. 

THE  CANVASBACK 

(Aythya  vallisneria) 

The  canvasback,  the  duck  par  excellence  of  the  East- 
ern states,  is  very  plentiful  in  the  more  northern  por- 
tions of  the  territorial  scope  of  these  articles,  though  I 
have  seen  them  in  good  numbers  on  the  lakes  of  Mexico. 
It  is  the  general  supposition  that  the  canvasback  breeds 
in  the  far  north,  but  from  the  fact  that  they  are  found 
on  the  lakes  of  Mexico  as  early  as  October,  they  must 
also  breed  on  the  higher  lakes  of  our  mountains.  On 
our  lower  marshes  they  are  a  late  duck,  but  they  appear 
on  our  mountain  lakes  quite  early  in  the  season.  Can- 
vasback shooting  on  our  waters  affords  the  finest  of 
sport,  as  it  does  not  partake  so  much  of  flock  shooting 
as  it  does  on  the  Chesapeake  and  the  Delaware  rivers. 
While  I  certainly  prefer  our  shooting,  by  no  means  do 
I  prefer  our  ducks.  When  killed  on  the  mountain  lakes, 
our  canvasback  possesses  nearly  if  not  quite  as  fine 
flavor  as  do  those  of  the  Eastern  states,  but  when  killed 
on  the  bays  and  salt  marshes  of  California  they  are 
75 


fishy  and  barely  palatable.  This  is  caused  by  the  ab- 
sence of  the  so-called  wild  celery,  properly  tape  grass 
(Vallisneria  spiralis),  the  common  food  of  the  Eastern 
canvasback.  Our  birds  have  the  habit  of  feeding  largely 
on  the  shallow  waters  of  the  tide  lands  and  marshes  and 
of  consuming  large  quantities  of  crustaceans,  such  as 
clams,  crabs,  mussels  and  the  like,  and  it  takes  but  a 
few  days'  diet  of  this  kind  to  make  the  canvasback  about 
the  poorest  of  ducks.  I  have  killed  these  ducks  on  the 
high  lakes  and  ponds  of  Mexico,  when,  on  account  of 
something  they  fed  upon,  they  were  really  unfit  to  eat. 

Color — Male — Head  and  neck,  nearly  black;  back, 
light  gray;  bill,  black,  and  forming  nearly  a  straight 
line  from  the  tip  to  the  crown  of  the  head;  belly  and 
flanks,  nearly  white. 

Female — Head  and  neck,  cinnamon  brown,  paler  on 
the  throat;  back,  dark  gray. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  of  the  canvasback  is  gen- 
erally found  on  some  little  knoll  in  the  marsh,  and  is 
lined  with  dead  grass  and  feathers,  and  often  with  con- 
siderable down.  The  eggs,  which  are  about  ten  in  num- 
ber, are  of  a  dark  creamy  white. 

Measurements— Total  length,  from  18  to  22  inches; 
the  more  northern  birds  within  the  territory  here  cov- 
ered will  always  be  found  considerably  larger  than  those 
of  the  more  southern  latitudes.  Wing,  8  to  9%  inches, 
and  bill  about  2%  inches. 

THE  REDHEAD 
(Aythya  amaricana) 

The  red-head  is  quite  a  common  duck  in  the  southern 
sections  of  the  Coast  hunting  grounds.  Though  purely 
a  bay  or  salt-water  duck,  that  is,  belonging  to  the  sub- 
family Fuligulinae,  it  is  not  found  to  any  great  extent 
on  the  salt-water  marshes,  preferring  the  higher  lakes, 
ponds  and  reservoirs  of  the  mountain  valleys  and  foot- 
hills. I  found  them  one  season  in  great  numbers  on 
the  San  Rafael  marshes,  high  up  in  the  mountains  of 
Lower  California,  and  all  the  shooting  two  friends  and 
myself  wished  to  do  had  no  effect  in  driving  them  away, 
although  the  ponds  of  the  marsh  were  few  and  small. 

Color — Male — Head  and  neck,  reddish  chestnut;  lower 
neck  and  upper  breast,  sooty  brown,  a  mixture  of  finely 
penciled  lines  of  gray  and  brown;  speculum,  gray;  back, 
gray;  feathers  on  the  top  of  the  head  almost  form  a 
crest;  bill,  lead  color. 

Female — Head  and  neck,  light  cinnamon  brown,  very 
77 


pale  on  the  sides  of  the  head  near  the  bill,  and  throat 
nearly  white;  breast  and  shoulders,  dirty  light  brown, 
and  back  a  darker  dirty  brown. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest,  like  that  of  the  canvasback, 
is  generally  built  in  the  marsh  or  on  the  low  banks  of 
a  lake,  usually  lined  with  down  and  contains  about  ten 
eggs  of  a  brownish  buff  color. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  20  inches;  wing, 
8%  to  8%;  bill  barely  2%  inches. 

THE  AMERICAN  SCAUP,  OR  BLUE-BILL 

(Aythya  marila  neartica) 

The  American  scaup,  or  blue-bill,  the  lesser  scaup 
(Aythya  affinis)  and  the  ring-neck  (Aythya  collaris) 
are  very  plentiful  from  Washington  to  Mexico.  These 
three  species  are  generally  grouped  together  by  the 
sportsmen  of  the  Coast  under  the  name  of  black  jacks, 
black  ducks,  black-heads  or  blue-bills;  all  three  species 
being  considered  as  belonging  to  the  one  variety,  and 
the  lesser  scaup  (Aythya  affini's)  as  the  younger  birds. 
With  the  males,  at  least,  there  should  be  no  excuse  for 
this  error,  for  they  can  be  easily  distinguished  by  the 
color  of  the  speculum,  or  bright  band  on  the  wings,  and 
by  the  color  of  the  metallic  sheen  of  the  head  and  neck. 
The  speculum  of  the  American  scaup,  or  larger  blue- 
bill,  is  white,  the  head  and  neck  showing  a  greenish 
sheen,  quite  pronounced  in  the  sunlight.  The  lesser 
scaup,  or  little  blue-bill  (Aythya  affinis)  has  a  white 
speculum  also,  but  the  sheen  of  the  head  and  neck  is 
purple.  The  ring-neck  (Aythya  collaris),  has  a  gray 
speculum,  which,  though  quite  light  in  color,  can  easily 
be  distinguished  from  the  pure  white  of  the  other  two. 
The  metallic  sheen  of  the  head  of  the  ring-neck  is  a  dark 
indigo  blue.  The  bill  of  the  ring-neck  is  quite  different 
from  that  of  the  scaups,  being  much  darker  in  color  and 
more  of  a  sooty  tinge  and  with  a  faint  bluish  band 
across  it  about  half  an  inch  from  the  end.  The  females 
of  all  three  species  resemble  each  other  very  closely, 
but  the  difference  in  size  will  generally  determine  to 
which  species  they  belong.  The  two  blue-bills  can  be 
told  from  the  female  ring-neck  by  their  white  spec- 
ulums.  The  female  ring-neck  has  the  gray  of  the  male, 
but  this  does  not  distinguish  it  from  the  female  red- 
head. The  smaller  size  of  the  ring-neck  and  darker 
appearance  of  the  head  and  neck  will  always  indicate 
to  which  species  the  female  belongs.  The  bill  of  the 
female  red-head  meets  the  skull  in  quite  an  abrupt  man- 
79 


ner,  while  that  of  the  ring-neck  has  more  of  the  sloping 
character  of  the  canvasback. 

Color — Male — Head  and  neck,  black,  showing  a  green 
luster  in  the  sun;  back,  gray,  finely  lined  with  black; 
under  parts,  white;  speculum,  white. 

Female — Head,  dead  brown,  with  a  light  gray  patch 
at  the  base  of  the  bill  blending  into  the  brown  of  the 
head;  breast  and  back,  dirty  brown;  under  parts,  white; 
speculum,  white;  bill,  bluish. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  a  crude  affair  near  the 
water's  edge,  containing  about  ten  pale  olive-buff  eggs. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  18  inches;  wing, 
8%,  and  bill,  1%  inches.  The  females  are  but  a  trifle 
smaller. 

THE  LESSER  SCAUP,  OR 

LITTLE  BLUE-BILL 

(Aythya  affinis) 

The  little  blue-bill,  or  lesser  scaup,  like  its  larger 
relative,  is  a  cosmopolitan  species,  and  commonly  met 
with  in  flocks  of  the  other,  which  has  led  to  the  com- 
mon error  of  classing  the  two  together,  the  one  as  the 
elder  and  the  other  as  the  younger  birds. 

While  in  general  color  and  markings  they  are  very 
similar,  there  is  so  much  difference  in  their  size  that 
they  should  be  easily  distinguished.  With  the  males 
this  is  very  easy  for  the  head  of  the  larger  species  has 
a  green  sheen,  the  head  of  the  lesser  has  a  purple  sheen 
as  shown  in  the  sun.  The  bill  of  this  species  is  more 
of  a  blue  and  mucn  smaller,  being  not  over  1%  inches 
in  length. 

Color — The  color  and  markings  are  the  same  as  the 
American  scaup,  with  the  exception  that  the  metallic 
sheen  of  the  head,  as  already  mentioned,  is  purple. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  same  as  the  American  scaup. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  16%  inches;  wing, 
7%,  and  bill  1%  inches. 

THE  RING-NECK 
(Aythya  collaris) 

In  the  breeding  season  the  ring-neck  male  has  a  dirty 
orange  ring  around  the  neck  which  disappears  wholly, 
or  nearly  so,  before  the  beginning  of  the  hunting  sea- 
son. The  ring-neck  is  generally  more  plentiful  on  the 
fresh  waters.  I  have  seen  great  numbers  of  them  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  river.  In  fact,  both  the  ring- 
81 


neck  and  the  lesser  scaup  range  much  farther  south 
than  do  the  larger  species,  for  while  few  of  the  larger 
scaup  are  seen  in  Mexico,  great  quantities  of  the  little 
blue-bills  are  found  throughout  the  republic,  especially 
on  the  salt  marshes  of  the  two  coasts.  All  of  these 
three  species  breed  along  the  mountain  lakes  from  Cali- 
fornia north. 

Color — Male — Head  and  neck,  black,  with  an  indigo 
sheen  when  turned  in  the  sun.  This  will  always  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  larger  blue-bill  whose  sheen  is 
green  and  the  lesser  blue-bill  whose  sheen  is  purple. 
The  speculum  is  gray;  bill,  bluish  with  a  pale  blue  band 
across  it  about  a  half  inch  from  the  end. 

Female — The  female  of  this  species  resembles  the  fe- 
male of  the  red-head  very  closely.  It  is  considerable 
darker,  however,  and  the  bill  joins  the  head  without 
the  marked  indentation  seen  in  the  red-head. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  and  eggs  are  the  same  as 
the  scaups. 

Measurements — Total  length,  YlVz  inches;  wing,  8, 
and  bill,  2  inches. 

THE  RUDDY  DUCK,  OR  WIRE-TAIL 

(Erismatura  rubida) 

The  ruddy  duck  is  a  very  common  duck  on  our  shoot- 
ing grounds,  from  one  end  to  the  other,  though  as  a 
rule  it  is  not  much  sought  after  by  our  sportsmen. 
When  feeding  on  the  salt  marshes  they  are  not  very 
palatable,  it  is  true,  but  when  killed  on  fresh  waters 
they  are  one  of  our  finest  flavored  ducks,  if  properly 
cooked.  After  refusing  many  shots  at  these  little  ducks 
and  even  many  times  failing  to  carry  home  those  I  did 
kill,  it  remained  for  Mr.  Babcock,  then  of  the  Coronado 
Hotel,  of  San  Diego,  California,  to  demonstrate  to  me 
the  real  value  of  the  ruddy  duck.  I  was  one  of  the 
party  shooting  with  him  on  his  preserve  at  Otay  dam. 
When  we  came  into  the  house  after  our  morning's  shoot, 
a  most  enjoyable  one,  he  asked  each  member  of  the 
party  what  kind  of  duck  he  wished  for  his  dinner.  Mal- 
lards, canvasbacks,  sprigs  and  widgeons  had  been 
named,  so  when  he  came  to  me  I  answered  that  any 
kind  would  do  me.  To  this  he  replied:  "Then  you  shall 
have  one  of  my  favorites."  When  dinner  was  ready, 
before  each  plate  was  a  beautifully  roasted  duck  of  the 
species  chosen  by  the  member  of  the  party  for  whom 
that  plate  was  laid,  but  the  plates  in  front  of  Mr.  Bab- 
cock  and  myself  each  contained  two  plump  little  birds 
that  I  did  not  recognize  in  their  undress  uniform.  After 
83 


I  had  tasted  of  one,  Mr.  Babcock  asked:  "How  do  you 
like  my  selection?"  "Very  much,"  I  answered,  "but 
what  are  they?  I  never  ate  anything  better."  "The 
much  despised  ruddy,"  was  his  reply,  "the  superior  of 
the  canvasback  when  properly  handled."  The  best  evi- 
dence that  I  fully  endorsed  all  that  he  claimed  for  the 
ruddy  duck  is  the  fact  that  there  was  nothing  left  of 
my  two  birds  but  well-picked  bones.  The  ruddy  duck 
may  well  be  called  a  resident  species  over  the  whole 
of  the  Pacific  Coast  shooting  grounds,  for  they  breed 
not  only  on  the  lakes  and  streams,  but  on  the  lower 
marshes  as  well,  throughout  the  whole  territory. 

The  ruddy  duck  is  known  by  a  number  of  names  such 
as  "wire  tail,"  "dipper,"  "bullet-head,"  "buffle-head,"  etc. 

Color — Male — Top  of  head,  dark  brown;  sides  of  head 
below  the  eye,  dirty  white;  upper  parts,  brown;  no 
speculum  on  the  wing;  axillars,  very  light  gray  with 
light  brown  shafts;  tail,  broad  and  stiff  with  the  feathers 
pointed;  under  parts,  dirty  white. 

Female — Much  the  color  of  the  male,  but  more  of  a 
dirty  brown.  Side  of  the  head  and  throat,  dirty  gray. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  usually  built  on  little 
hillocks  in  the  marshes,  and  contain  from  six  to  eight 
dirty  white  eggs. 

Measurements— The  ruddy  is  a  small  duck  with  a  very 
rounded  body.  Total  length,  about  15  inches;  wing,  6, 
and  bill,  1%  inches,  strongly  depressed  in  the  center. 

THE  AMERICAN  GOLDEN-EYE 

(Glaucionetta  clangula  americana) 

The  American  golden-eye  is  a  visitor  from  the  far 
north  to  the  northern  portions  of  the  territory  covered 
by  this  work.  An  occasional  straggler  is  killed  as  far 
south  as  San  Francisco,  but  they  are  a  cold  country 
bird.  They  are  more  common  in  the  interior  of  Wash- 
ington and  Oregon  than  along  the  coast. 

Color — Male — Head  and  upper  half  of  neck,  dark 
green  with  a  matallic  sheen;  a  nearly  round  patch  of 
white  between  the  eye  and  the  base  of  the  bill;  lower 
part  of  neck,  most  of  the  back  and  the  under  parts, 
white;  upper  part  of  the  back,  rump  and  tail,  black; 
wings,  mostly  white. 

Female — Head  and  upper  neck,  brown;  gray  spot  at 
the  base  of  the  bill;  breast  and  under  parts,  gray;  back 
and  most  of  the  wings,  brownish  black. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  hollow 
85 


tree  or  stump  and  contains  about  ten  eggs  of  a  bluish 
white  color. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  19  inches;  wing, 
9,  and  bill,  1%.  Female  about  one-tenth  smaller. 

BARROW'S  GOLDEN-EYE 

(Glaucionetta  ilandica) 

Barrow's  golden-eye  is  another  duck  that  is  seen  but 
little  within  the  Pacific  Coast  hunting  grounds,  and  only 
then  near  the  coast  sections  of  the  northern  part.  They 
are  found  more  plentiful  on  the  islands  along  the  north 
Pacific  coast. 

Coloi — The  male  resembles  the  American  golden-eye 
very  closely,  except  that  the  head  of  the  Barrow's  is 
more  of  a  purple,  or  greenish  purple.  The  white  at  the 
base  of  the  bill  is  also  different,  it  being  a  crescent 
shape  instead  of  round. 

The  female  differs  in  the  head  being  more  of  a  cin- 
namon brown,  and  the  back  more  of  a  gray  and  slightly 
mottled  with  brown. 

Nest,  Eggs  and  Measurements — The  same  as  the 
American  golden-eye. 

THE  BUTTER-BALL 
Charitonetta  albeola) 

The  butter-ball,  or  buffle-head,  is  another  common 
duck  all  over  the  country.  But  where  we  have  so  many 
larger  and  better  ducks  they  are  little  sought  for,  and 
are  generally  considered  poor  shooting.  Yet  I  recall 
one  occasion  when  with  a  friend  I  was  shooting  on  a 
couple  of  foothill  ponds  where  many  of  these  little  ducks 
had  congregated,  they  furnished  us  with  fine  sport.  The 
larger  ducks  were  soon  scared  away,  but  the  little  but- 
ter-balls would  not  leave.  One  of  us  was  stationed  at 
each  pond  and  we  soon  had  them  all  in  the  air 

Color — Male — Head,  greenish  purple,  with  a  strong 
metallic  luster;  white  patch  running  from  the  eye  to  the 
back  of  the  head;  feathers  of  the  head  long,  forming  a 
crest;  back,  black;  under  parts  white  and  a  broad  white 
patch  on  the  wing. 

Female — The  female  is  a  very  modestly  colored  bird 
to  have  so  gaudy  a  mate.  Head  and  upper  parts,  a 
dark,  dead  brown;  under  parts,  white;  speculum,  white; 
a  small,  elongated  white  spot  on  the  side  of  the  head. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  built  on  some 
elevation  such  as  a  stump  or  log;  some  times  in  a  tree. 
87 


The  eggs,  numbering  eight  to  ten,  are  of  a  pale  buff 
color. 

Measurements — Total  length,  11  to  12 ^  inches;  wing, 
about  6,  and  bill,  1  inch. 

THE  OLD  SQUAW,  OR 
LONG-TAILED  DUCK 

(Clangula  hyemalis) 

The  old  squaw,  or  long-tailed  duck,  comes  but  little 
into  California,  though  a  few  are  killed  each  year  in 
Washington  and  Oregon.  1  killed  one  several  years  ago 
as  far  south  as  Los  Angeles  county,  California,  the  only 
one  I  have  ever  known  to  get  that  far  away  from  his 
northern  home. 

Color — Male — As  the  winter  plumage  is  the  only  garb 
that  one  of  this  species  will  be  seen  in  on  these  hunt- 
ing grounds,  I  will  only  mention  it.  Head,  white,  with  a 
patch  of  brownish  black  on  the  side  of  the  head  and 
side  of  the  neck;  breast,  black,  continuing  over  the 
back;  belly,  white;  wings,  white;  a  band  of  yellow 
across  the  bill;  central  tail  feathers,  black  and  very 
long. 

Female — Head,  white,  with  a  dark  patch  on  the  top 
and  on  the  side;  breast  and  back,  smoky  black;  under 
parts,  white;  no  long  feathers  in  the  tail. 

THE  HARLEQUIN  DUCK 

(Histrionicus  histrionicus) 

The  harlequin  duck  is  a  northern  bird  that  comes  but 
little  into  the  United  States  on  either  coast.  A  few 
stragglers  are  met  with  in  Oregon  and  Washington,  and 
an  occasional  one  is  killed  in  California.  These  and  the 
old  squaw  add  a  pleasing  variety  to  our  mounted  col- 
lections, but  nothing  to  our  sport. 

Color — The  accompanying  illustration  is  the  best  de- 
scription of  this  duck  that  can  be  given,  as  the  colors 
are  white  and  a  brownish  black.  It  is  about  the  size 
of  the  widgeon. 

THE  SCOTERS 

(Oidemia  deglandi — Oidemia  americana) 
The  scoters,  or  coots,  as  they  are  called  on  the  At- 
lantic coast,  are  all  found  on  this  coast  southward  to 
Mexico.      Of    these    the    white-winged    scoter    (Oidemia 
deglandi)    is   the  most   common,   being  found   in  large 
numbers  on  all  the  bays  and  inlets  of  the  coast  as  far 
south   as   the  Magdalena  bay,   Lower   California. 
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THE  GEESE  OF  THE 
PACIFIC  COAST 

The  hunting  grounds  of  the  Pacific  Coast  have  a 
greater  variety  of  geese  than  any  other  section  of 
America.  Here  are  to  be  found  every  species  known 
to  the  Eastern  states,  except  the  barnacle  brant  of  the 
Atlantic.  But  in  return  for  the  absence  of  this  species 
of  sea  brant  we  have  the  black  sea  brant,  the  white- 
cheeked  goose,  the  ross  goose,  the  emperor  goose  (none 
of  which  are  found  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains)  and 
the  hutchins  goose,  the  lesser  snow  goose,  the  white- 
fronted  goose  and  the  little  brown  brant,  which  are  only 
stragglers  east  of  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  only  spar- 
ingly seen  that  far  east.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  with- 
in the  Pacific  Coast  hunting  grounds  there  are  four  gen- 
era and  nine  species  of  the  goose  family.  AH  of  these 
are  found  in  the  northern  parts  of  these  hunting 
grounds,  but  only  about  one-half  of  them  visit  the  south- 
ern parts.  Increased  areas  of  cultivation,  the  drainage 
of  vast  sections  of  marshy  lands  and  the  absence  of 
laws  for  their  protection  have  greatly  reduced  the  once 
wonderful  supply. 

Acres  of  geese  sounds  fabulous,  yet  miles  of  geese  is 
the  only  expression  which  conveys  an  adequate  idea  of 
the  wonderful  numbers  in  which  these  birds  were  seen 
on  the  Coast  half  a  century  ago.  The  great  majority 
of  the  geese  of  the  Coast  at  that  time  were  of  the  white 
varieties,  and  it  is  a  veritable  fact  that  in  California, 
and  especially  in  the  Sacramento,  San  Joaquin  and  Los 
Angeles  valleys,  these  geese  congregated  during  the 
winter  months  in  such  numbers  as  to  whiten  the  plains 
for  miles.  Many  flocks  of  honkers  were  mixed  with 
them,  as  well  as  some  of  the  other  darker  varieties. 
These  darker  species  of  the  family,  however,  were  far 
more  plentiful  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  State  than 
in  the  southern.  That  part  of  the  Sacramento  valley 
known  as  the  Maine  Prairies  has  always  been  a  favorite 
feeding  place  for  the  Canada  goose  and  its  sub-species. 

THE  CANADA  GOOSE,  OR  HONKER 

(Branta  canadensis) 

The  Canada  goose,  or  honker  as  it  is  commonly  called, 
was  and  is  quite  common  on  the  Coast.  This  goose,  the 
largest  of  the  Americans,  has  a  wide  distribution,  rang- 
ing from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  and  from  the  Arctic 
to  Central  America.  They  breed  as  far  south  as  south- 
93 


era  Oregon,  at  any  rate,  and  possibly  on  the  higher 
mountain  lakes  as  far  south  as  Mexico,  for  they  seem 
to  make  their  appearance  on  the  Coast  shooting  grounds 
of  Mexico  nearly,  if  not  quite,  as  early  as  they  do  here. 

The  flesh  of  the  Canada  goose  is  the  equal  if  not  the 
superior  of  the  tame  goose.  Its  flight,  except  when  mi- 
grating long  distances,  is  generally  low,  and  in  such 
cases  it  can  be  called  by  the  hunter  to  within  shooting 
distance. 

Color — Head  and  neck,  black,  with  a  white  stripe  run- 
ning from  the  chin  back  of  the  eye  to  near  the  top  of 
the  head;  upper  parts,  dark  brownish  gray;  breast, 
dull,  light  gray,  grading  into  white  at  the  abdomen; 
tail  and  wings,  black.  Both  sexes  alike. 

Eggs  and  Nest — The  nest  is  generally  built  of  sticks 
and  grass,  lined  with  feathers,  and  either  in  the  marshes 
or  on  the  banks  of  a  stream,  and  rarely  if  ever  con- 
tain more  than  six  or  seven,  and  often  not  more  than 
four,  eggs  of  a  very  light  brownish  white. 

Measurements — Wing,  about  19  inches;  bill,  about 
1%  inches. 

THE  WHITE-CHEEKED   GOOSE 
(Branta  canadensis  occidentalis) 

The  white-cheeked  goose,  known  also  as  Mexican 
goose,  is  found  only  on  the  Pacific  Coast  and  never  east 
of  the  Cascades  in  Washington  and  Oregon,  or  the 
Sierra  Nevadas  in  California.  In  fact,  they  are  gen- 
erally confined  to  localities  not  far  from  the  ocean. 
While  both  the  honker  and  the  Hutchins  goose  have  a 
white  cheek,  the  white  of  the  honker  meets  under  the 
chin  or  blends  into  a  gray,  but  the  white  of  the  white- 
cheeked  variety  is  separated  either  with  a  distinct  black 
stripe  under  the  chin  or  a  mottled  black  and  white  one. 
Also  the  black  of  the  neck  of  the  white-cheeked  goose 
and  the  brownish  gray  of  the  breast  is  very  generally 
separated  by  a  white  collar,  though  sometimes  this  is 
so  faint  as  to  be  almost  indistinguishable. 

The  white-cheeked  goose  is  rarely  seen  south  of 
Monterey  Bay,  California. 

Color — Same  as  the  Canada  goose,  except  that  the 
white  on  the  cheeks  is  either  separated  under  the  chin 
by  a  black  stripe  or  by  only  a  very  few  white  feathers  in 
the  black.  Between  the  neck  and  the  dull  gray  of  the 
breast  is  a  narrow  white  stripe,  or  collar.  This  some 
times  is  very  faint,  and,  in  fact,  some  times,  though 
very  rarely,  absent.  This  absence  of  the  collar  is  quite 
95 


likely  caused  by  its  inter-grading  with  the  Hutchins 
goose. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  same  as  the  Canada  goose. 

Measurements — Wing,  never  more  than  16  inches; 
bill,  not  more  than  1%  inches. 

THE  HUTCHINS  GOOSE 
(Branta  canadensis  hutchinsii) 

We  have  on  the  Pacific  Coast  four  varieties  of  the 
Branta  canadensis,  or  that  species  to  which  belongs  the 
Canada  goose,  all  resembling  each  other  closely  except 
in  size.  Two  of  these  species  are  generally  considered 
honkers  by  most  of  our  sportsmen,  while  others  have 
two  or  three  local  names  for  them,  among  which  are 
Mexican  goose  and  Lower  California  goose.  The  fact 
is  that  while  the  Canada  goose  is  quite  common  on  the 
coasts  of  Mexico,  neither  the  Hutchins  goose  nor  the 
white-cheeked  goose  migrate  that  far  south. 

The  Hutchins  goose  so  closely  resembles  the  Canada 
goose,  or  honker  as  it  is  popularly  called,  that  it  is 
principally  distinguished  by  its  smaller  size  and  a  con- 
siderable difference  in  the  call.  The  Hutchins  goose 
ranges  as  far  east  as  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  on 
the  Pacific  Coast  south  only  to  about  Santa  Barbara 
county,  California.  This  is  one  of  the  two  varieties  that 
is  given  the  local  names  of  Mexican  and  Lower  Cali- 
fornia goose. 

Color — Same  as  the  Canada  goose,  from  which  it  is 
only  distinguished  by  its  smaller  size  and  a  considerable 
difference  in  its  call. 

Nest  and  Eggs — Same  as  the  Canada  goose. 

Measurements — Wing,  not  more  than  17  inches;  bill, 
1%  inches. 

THE  CACKLING  GOOSE, 

OR  BROWN  BRANT 
(Branta  canadensis  minima) 

The  cackling  goose,  known  also  as  brown  brant  and 
gray  brant,  is  the  most  common  of  the  four  varieties 
and  much  the  smallest.  (See  illustration.)  Its  mark- 
ings are  the  same  as  the  Canada  goose,  but  its  under 
parts  are  somewhat  darker.  While  in  total  length  it  is 
fully  half  that  of  the  honker,  in  weight  it  is  not  more 
than  one-third.  The  cackling  geese  are  commonly  found 
in  flocks  of  the  white  geese,  both  in  their  feeding  and 
their  migrations.  This  species  ranges  east  as  far  as 
the  Mississippi  valley  and  south  on  the  Coast  as  far  as 
97 


the  mouth  of  the  Colorado  river  and  to  some  extent 
into  Lower  California.  It  is  more  numerous  than  any 
other  of  the  dark  colored  geese  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 

Color — The  same  as  the  Canada  goose,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  it  is  a  little  darker  on  the  under  parts. 
Nest   and    Eggs — The  same   as  the  Canada  goose,  but 
the  eggs  number  as  high  as  ten. 

Measurements — Wing,  13  to  14%  inches;  bill,  from 
one  to  one  and  one-eighth. 

THE  SNOW  GOOSE,  OR  WHITE  GOOSE 

(Chen  hyperborea) 

The  lesser  snow  geese,  commonly  called  white  geese, 
are  the  larger  of  the  two  species  of  white  geese  so 
numerous  on  the  Coast.  They  not  only  feed,  but  mi- 
grate in  great  flocks,  and  these  migrations  often  take 
place  at  night  when  their  sharp  cries  will  be  heard  high 
in  the  air.  The  lesser  snow  goose  is  found  as  far  east 
as  the  Mississippi  valley  and  south  on  the  Pacific  Coast 
to  San  Diego.  Occasionally  a  few  are  seen  at  Ensenada 
and  the  valley  of  the  Palms  in  Lower  California.  The 
meat  is  tough  and  poor  in  flavor  and,  therefore,  they  are 
hunted  but  little  except  by  the  market  hunters,  who, 
somehow,  succeed  in  selling  a  good  number  of  them 
to  the  uninitiated. 

Color — Pure  white,  with  black  bill  and  legs;  the  pri- 
maries, or  long  feathers  of  the  wings,  are  black. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  made  close  to  the 
water's  edge  and  contain  about  ten  dirty  white  eggs. 

Measurements — Wing,  about  16  inches;  bill,  2^4 
inches. 

THE  ROSS  GOOSE 

LITTLE  WHITE  GOOSE 

(Chen  rossii) 

The  Ross  goose  has  been  given  the  name  of  China 
goose  by  many  who  wanted  some  distinguishing  nomen- 
clature for  them,  when  in  fact  the  Ross  goose  is  purely 
an  American  Pacific  Coast  bird.  Like  the  snow  goose 
it  is  pure  white  with  black  primary  plumes.  Young 
birds  of  both  species  are  occasionally  seen  in  the  early 
part  of  the  season  more  or  less  mottled  on  the  breast 
with  yellowish  gray  feathers.  The  Ross  goose  is  only 
about  half  the  size  of  the  snow  goose.  Aside  from  this 
it  can  always  be  known  by  the  warty  appearance  of  the 
upper  half  of  the  bill.  They  are  commonly  seen,  both 
in  feeding  and  in  their  migrations,  mixed  in  the  flocks 
99 


of  the  snow  geese.  Occasionally  they  are  seen  as  far 
east  as  Utah  and  Montana,  but  only  in  small  numbers. 

The  Ross  goose  migrates  as  far  south  as  Central 
Mexico,  great  numbers  of  them  congregating  on  Lake 
Chapala,  in  the  state  of  Jalisco. 

Color — Same  as  the  snow  goose. 

Measurements— Wing,  about  14  inches;  bill,  2%,  with 
warty  excresences  on  the  upper  part. 

WHITE  FRONTED  GOOSE 
(Anser  albifrons  gambeli) 

The  white-fronted  goose,  or  speckle-breast  as  it  is 
commonly  called,  is  quite  common  on  the  Coast  south  to 
Mexico,  where  great  numbers  congregate  on  Lake  Cha- 
pala, Jalisco.  This  is  another  western  species,  though 
ranging  to  some  extent  as  far  east  as  the  Mississippi 
valley  and  an  occasional  flock  wanders  even  to  the  At- 
lantic coast.  The  breasts  of  the  old  birds  are  com- 
monly profusely  speckled  with  black  feathers.  The 
white-fronted  goose  is  a  little  more  exclusive  in  its 
habits  than  any  of  the  others  named,  being  generally 
found  in  flocks  by  themselves.  As  a  table  bird  the  meat 
is  quite  palatable,  and  large  numbers  are  sold  in  the 
markets. 

Color — Head,  grayish  brown,  with  a  white  spot  at  the 
junction  of  the  bill,  but  this  is  absent  from  the  young 
birds;  neck,  lighter,  shading  into  white  or  dull  white  on 
the  breast,  mottled  with  black;  back,  ashy  gray,  edged 
with  brown;  shafts  of  the  quills,  white;  bill  and  legs, 
light  pink. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  well  made  and 
lined  with  feathers  and  down.  The  eggs  number  about 
seven  or  eight,  and  are  of  a  pale  greenish  white. 

Measurements — Wing,  16  inches;   bill,  2  inches. 

THE  EMPEROR  GOOSE 
(Philacte  canagica) 

The  Emperor  goose  is  a  north  Pacific  species,  breed- 
ing principally  on  the  islands  of  the  Alaska  coast.  The 
great  majority  of  these  birds  winter  well  to  the  north 
of  us,  though  a  number  venture  southward  into  Califor- 
nia to  Humboldt  bay  and  even  south  of  that.  A  small 
flock  or  two  is  seen  almost  every  winter  on  the  marshes 
near  San  Francisco.  A  close  watch  of  the  markets 
will  reveal  one  or  two  offered  for  sale  almost  every 
winter. 

Color — Head  and  back  of  neck,  white;  throat,  brown- 
101 


ish  gray,  shading  into  light  gray  on  the  breast  and 
abdomen;  back,  a  little  darker;  the  feathers  being  gray, 
tipped  with  lighter  gray,  with  a  subterminal  band  of 
brownish  gray;  legs,  flesh  color. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  usually  found  on  the 
small  islands  of  the  salt  marshes,  and  contain  eight  to 
ten  eggs  of  a  dull  white  color. 

Measurements— Wing,  about  15V2  inches;  bill,  1% 
inches. 

THE  BLACK  SEA  BRANT 

(Branta  nigricans) 

The  black  sea  brant  is  another  purely  Pacific  Coast 
species,  found  nowhere  else  except  as  a  straggler.  They 
resemble  the  barnacle  brant  of  the  Atlantic  (Branta 
barnicla)  except  in  the  shape  of  the  head  and  bill.  A 
differing  characteristic,  however,  is  that  the  white  speck- 
ling on  the  sides  of  the  neck  of  the  barnacle  brant  ex- 
tends all  around  the  front  of  the  neck  in  the  case  of  the 
black  sea  brant.  As  their  name  implies,  these  are  pure- 
ly seabirds,  rarely  flying  over  the  land  even,  and  only 
found  in  such  bays  as  produce  the  eel  grass  on  which 
they  feed  almost  exclusively.  I  only  know  of  the  follow- 
ing places  within  the  Pacific  Coast  shooting  grounds 
where  the  black  sea  brant  is  found.  These  are:  Puget 
sound,  Washington;  Coos  bay,  Oregon;  Humboldt,  To- 
males,  Moro  and  San  Diego  bays,  California,  and  Mag- 
dalena  bay,  Lower  California.  In  most  of  these  places 
they  are  plentiful  during  the  winter  season.  Of  all 
birds  that  fall  to  the  aim  of  the  sportsman,  the  black 
sea  brant  is  the  most  difficult  to  get  within  range  of. 
This  is  only  accomplished  by  great  caution  and  a  good 
deal  of  strategy,  but  when  they  are  brought  to  bag  the 
reward  is  a  full  compensation,  for  of  all  the  waterfowl 
their  flesh  is  the  most  delicious.  The  sea  brant  is  rare- 
ly found  away  from  the  haunts  mentioned,  yet  the  bird 
from  which  the  accompanying  illustration  was  made 
was  killed  from  a  small  flock  that  had  strayed  into 
the  lower  end  of  San  Francisco  bay,  near  Redwood  City, 
and  was  mounted  by  that  accomplished  sportsman  and 
taxidermist,  Chase  Littlejohn,  of  that  place. 

Color — General  color,  black;  throat,  with  a  white 
or  speckled  ring  all  around  the  neck,  except  a  small 
portion  of  the  back;  flanks,  mottled  white  and  blacki; 
under  tail  feathers,  white. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  only  a  depression  on  the 
ground,  but  nicely  lined  with  down.  The  eggs,  num- 
bering six  to  eight,  are  of  a  dull  white. 

Measurements — Wing,  13  inches;  bill,  ll/2  inches. 
103 


THE  SWANS 
(Olor  columbianus)  and  (Olor  buccinator) 

(Subfamily,  CYGNINAE) 

Both  the  whistling  swan  (Olor  columbianus)  and  the 
trumpeter  swan  (Olor  buccinator)  were  once  very  plen- 
tiful on  the  Pacific  Coast  hunting  grounds,  as  far  south 
as  central  California,  and  especially  so  on  the  Colum- 
bia river  and  the  lakes  of  Oregon  and  Washington.  A 
few  were  met  with  also  as  far  south  as  San  Diego  coun- 
ty, California. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  first  two  swans  I  ever  killed 
and  my  experience  with  them.  It  was  the  first  winter 
after  I  came  to  California  and  I  was  living  in  Los  An- 
geles, then  a  little  Mexican  village,  and  three  of  us 
were  doing  our  own  housekeeping.  Whatever  the  rea- 
son— most  likely  from  some  hallucination  of  boyhood — 
I  entertained  the  belief  that  swans  must  be  exceedingly 
fine  eating.  As  I  prided  myself  then,  just  after  crossing 
the  plains,  upon  being  a  good  cook,  great  preparations 
were  made  for  an  extra  fine  feast  on  what  I  fancied 
would  be  a  delicious  bird.  We  had  a  good  stove  and 
the  first  of  the  two  swans  was  carefully  "stuffed"  with 
the  choicest  dressing,  consisting  of  the  combined  sug- 
gestions of  the  three  of  us.  It  was  placed  in  the  oven, 
the  fire  carefully  tended  and  the  magnificent  bird  re- 
peatedly "basted."  When  it  was  ready  and  placed  on 
the  table  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  do  the  carving.  Having 
drawn  my  knife  across  the  hunger-producing  carcass 
without  making  any  perceptible  impression,  I  decided 
that  it  must  be  the  fault  of  a  dull  knife.  Among  our 
table  furnishings  we  had  no  sharpening  steel,  a  scythe 
stone  doing  service  in  its  stead.  I  hunted  this  up  and 
began  on  the  knife  with  the  "mower's  challenge"  stroke 
and  soon  had  an  edge  that  would  have  cut  through  any- 
thing less  than  an  eighty-pound  rail.  With  no  little  ef- 
fort I  amputated  the  legs  and  the  wings,  and  cutting 
a  generous  piece  from  one  side  of  the  breast  passed  it 
to  one  of  my  companions,  who  at  once  began  on  it  with 
his  knife.  A  few  attempts  to  sever  it  and  he  reached 
for  the  scythe  stone.  Then  when  he  began  chewing  on 
the  segregated  piece  he  declared  that  it  was  not  cooked 
enough.  A  dispute  followed  as  to  whether  it  is  over- 
cooking or  under-cooking  that  makes  a  bird  tough.  With 
this  momentous  question  still  unsettled  we  decided  that 
some  of  the  many  ingredients  that  we  had  put  into  the 
"stuffing"  must  have  given  the  meat  its  sole-leather 
consistency.  We  had  a  couple  of  hounds,  whose  teeth 
had  been  well  tested  in  many  a  coyote  kill,  and  we 
passed  this  first  swan  up  to  them. 
105 


The  next  day  the  other  bird  was  worked  into  a  fine 
stew  and  well  cooked.  When  served  the  stew  was  fine. 
The  dumplings  were  light  and  fairly  melted  in  our 
mouths;  the  red  peppers  were  hot;  the  aroma  of  onions 
was  just  of  that  degree  to  suggest  the  ambrosia  of  the 
gods;  but  the  swan!  Well,  the  hounds  ate  it  through 
the  compulsion  of  hunger. 

A  half-grown  swan,  however,  is  very  good  eating. 

There  is  very  little  difference  in  the  two  varities.  The 
whistling  swan  being  more  of  a  northern  bird,  rarely 
migrating  as  far  south  as  central  California.  About  the 
only  noticeable  difference  is  that  the  whistling  swan 
has  a  small  yellow  spot  at  the  V-shaped  point  of  the  bill 
where  it  meets  the  eye. 

THE  WADERS  AND 
SHORE  BIRDS 

The  Pacific  Coast  is  especially  rich  in  waders  and 
shore  birds,  there  being  upwards  of  forty  species  that 
are  more  or  less  common,  with  some  ten  or  more  that 
are  occasional  visitors.  Of  these  few  can  be  consid- 
ered game  birds,  while  others  are  so  small  that  they  are 
rarely  shot  by  our  sportsmen.  Many  of  both  the  waders 
and  the  shore  birds  are  constant  residents.  Others 
come  from  still  farther  south  for  breeding  purposes, 
while  still  others  breed  north  of  us  and  migrate  through- 
out the  territorial  scope  of  these  articles  to  spend  their 
winters. 

The  shore  birds,  while  very  common,  are  hunted  but 
little  by  the  sportsmen  of  this  region,  and  many  of  the 
smaller  species  that  are  considered  quite  a  delicacy  by 
our  eastern  brethren  are  passed  by  entirely  by  our  lov- 
ers of  the  gun.  The  reasons  for  this  will  be  obvious  to 
all  who  have  read  the  preceding  pages  and  noted  the 
abundance  and  great  variety  of  larger  and  better  game. 
By  better  game  I  mean  birds  that  furnish  better  sport 
by  requiring  more  skill  in  approaching  them  and  better 
markmanship  in  bringing  them  to  bag.  The  little  moun- 
tain plover,  of  the  southern  part  of  the  Coast,  while  not 
surpassed  even  by  the  jack  snipe  as  a  table  delicacy, 
are  hunted  but  little,  even  where  they  are  very  abun- 
dant, because  there  is  little  sport  to  be  had  in  shooting 
them.  And  the  same  is  true,  in  a  great  measure,  of 
several  other  species.  Sportsmen,  therefore,  are  little 
acquainted  with  .these  birds.. either  as  to  their  names,, 
gastronomic  merits  or  means  of  identification.  ...'.'. 
106 


THE  HERONS  AND  IBISES 

(Order,  HERODIONES) 

While  none  of  the  order  Herod iones,  which  includes 
the  storks,  herons,  ibises  and  bitterns,  can  be  consid- 
ered game  birds,  they  are  so  common  about  our  waters, 
and  some  of  them  add  such  a  charm  to  the  scene  by 
their  beautiful  plumage  and  graceful  movement,  that 
mention  of  some  of  them  here  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

The  great  blue  heron  (Ardea  herodias)  is  the  most 
common  of  these  waders.  With  his  long,  gracefully 
curved  neck  and  slender  legs  he  wades  with  stately 
mien  along  the  shallow  waters  of  the  lakes,  marshes 
and  streams,  both  summer  and  winter,  for  he  is  to  the 
manner  born  and  has  no  desire  to  seek  other  lands  or 
other  climes.  The  herons  are  said  to  be  destructive  to 
fish.  This  can  be  to  a  limited  extent  only,  for  they 
subsist  very  largely  on  the  enemies  of  the  fish,  de- 
stroying hundreds  of  snakes,  water  lizards  and  other 
fish  destroyers. 

The  snowy  heron,  or  white  crane  as  it  is  commonly 
called  (Ardea  candidissima),  is  another  handsome  wader 
that  lends  a  charm  to  the  lakes,  ponds  and  streams 
from  Oregon  south  through  Mexico.  Built  on  the  same 
graceful  lines  as  its  blue  relative,  and  with  a  plumage 
as  white  as  the  purest  snow,  it  never  fails  to  attract 
attention. 

Three  representatives  of  the  family  Ibididae  are  found 
here  and  present  a  pleasing  and  interesting  group. 

The  white-faced  glossy  ibis  (Plegadis  gaurauna) 
ranges  over  the  larger  portion  of  the  Coast,  but 
from  Lower  California  north  only  for  breeding  purposes. 
Its  long  curved  bill,  slim,  gracefully  bent  neck,  shapely 
body,  tall  legs  and  irridescent  reflections  of  its  plumage 
in  the  sunlight,  place  it  among  the  most  attractive  of 
North  American  birds.  Unlike  the  herons  they  are  gre- 
garious and  are,  therefore,  seen  in  flocks  of  varying 
size.  The  glossy  ibis  is  often  called  bronze  curlew,  but 
this  is  a  bad  misnomer,  as  they  are  in  no  way  related 
to  the  curlew. 

Another  of  the  family  is  the  white  ibis  (Gaura  alba). 
These  are  quite  common  in  Lower  California  and  Mex- 
ico. They  rarely  migrate  into  California,  though  they 
venture  much  to  the  north  of  us  in  a  northeastern  di- 
rection, reaching  the  shores  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake, 
during  the  breeding  season.  The  scarlet  ibis  (Guara 
rubra),  the  other  member  of  the  family,  is  confined  to 
Mexico,  so  far  as  these  articles  are  concerned. 

The  American  egret  (Ardea  egretta)  ranges  from  Ore- 
108 


gon  south  to  South  America.  It  was  at  one  time  quite 
plentiful  in  California,  but  its  handsome  plumes  at- 
tracted the  eye  of  the  milliner,  which  in  turn  aroused 
the  cupidity  of  the  market  hunter,  and  these  beautiful 
birds  are  now  rare  north  of  Lower  California  and  Mex- 
ico, and  are  rapidly  decreasing  even  there.  The  red- 
dish egret  (Ardea  rufescens)  is  an  inhabitant  of  Lower 
California  and  Mexico,  not  coming  north  of  these  places. 
Though  not  as  handsome  as  the  white  egret,  it  is  also 
being  exterminated  for  the  same  purposes. 

The  birds  that  I  have  so  far  mentioned,  while  not 
game  birds,  are  so  constantly  before  the  eyes  of  the 
sportsmen  who  engage  in  waterfowl  shooting  that  they 
can  not  help  but  be  interested  in  them.  They  add  a 
variety  and  a  beauty  to  the  scene,  and  many  an  hour's 
wait,  that  otherwise  would  have  been  tedious,  has 
passed  away  pleasantly  in  watching  the  graceful  move- 
ments of  some  one  or  more  of  these  stately  waders. 

THE  CRANES,  RAILS,  GALLINUL 

To  the  order,  Paludicolae,  belong  the  cranes,  rails,  gal- 
linules  and  coots,  or  mudhens,  as  they  are  commonly 
called.  Of  the  members  of  this  order  we  are  concerned 
only  with  the  cranes,  rails  and  coots.  The  sandhill  crane 
(Grus  mericana)  is  a  common  visitor  to  all  parts  of  the 
Coast,  but  more  plentiful  in  the  interior  valleys  than 
near  the  seashore.  They  are  generaally  hard  to  ap- 
proach and  for  that  reason  they  are  but  little  hunted  by 
our  sportsmen.  The  whooping  crane  (Grus  amercana) 
once  common  throughout  the  middle  states,  is  still  met 
with  to  considerable  extent  in  Mexico,  but  it  is  by  no 
means  a  common  visitor. 

The  California  clapper  rail,  known  also  as  the  San 
Mateo  rail  (Rail us  obsoletus),  is  the  largest  as  well  as 
the  most  important  of  the  rail  family  in  this  section. 
At  one  time  the  clapper  rail  was  very  plentiful  in  cer- 
tain localities  in  California  and  furnished  abundant 
sport,  though  rather  of  a  tame  nature,  to  those  who 
hunted  them.  Being  an  easy  bird  to  kill  and  unsus- 
picious, they  have  been  rapidly  reduced  in  numbers  un- 
til now  they  are  in  danger  of  extinction  unless  laws 
are  enacted  giving  them  better  protection.  The  clap- 
per is  only  a  straggler  south  of  San  Francisco  bay. 

The  Virginia  rail  (Rallus  virginianus),  a  species  not 
more  than  half  the  size  of  the  clapper  rail,  is  found 
sparingly  over  the  Coast,  but  principally  on  the  fresh 
water  marshes. 

The  little  yellow  rail  (Porzana  noveboracensis)  is 
109 


found  on  the  fresh  waters  from  central  California  south, 
but  it  is  nowhere  abundant. 

The  black  rail  (Porzana  jamaicensis)  is  another  of 
the  smaller  rails  that  are  found  on  the  fresh  waters  to 
a  limited  extent.  Both  this  and  the  last  preceding  one 
are  so  small  that  they  are  seldom  shot,  though  as  an 
article  of  food  they  are  very  delicate. 

THE  SHORE  BIRDS 

Order,  LIMICOLAE 

The  order  Limicolae,  which  is  composed  of  the  shore 
birds  proper,  is  abundantly  represented.  They  are  seen 
wading  in  the  shallow  waters,  carefully  watching  for 
worms,  insects  and  other  species  of  food  upon  which 
they  live,  boring  in  the  soft  mud,  scurrying  in  flocks 
from  place  to  place,  or  running  along  the  beach  as  the 
surf  recedes,  picking  up  the  jetsam  of  the  sea,  then 
taking  wing  or  running  back  like  a  playful  child  to  the 
higher  ground  as  the  foaming  crest  of  the  next  breaker 
rushes  up  the  sandy  shingle.  Or,  as  is  the  case  of  the 
phalaropes  and  some  others,  they  may  be  seen  riding 
lightly  upon  the  restless  billows  far  out  at  sea.  Modest 
in  coloring  and  plain  in  plumage,  the  shore  birds  seem 
to  belong  to  the  plebians  of  the  avafauna,  for  they 
are  constant  workers,  always  busy,  always  plying  their 
slender  legs  rapidly  as  they  hurry  from  one  spot  to  an- 
other, never  idle,  never  resting  for  a  moment. 

Of  the  shore  birds  there  are  six  families  and  twenty 
genera  represented  on  the  Coast.  Most  of  them  are 
quite  abundant  from  Washington  to  Mexico  on  their 
respective  feeding  grounds. 

THE  WILSON,  OR  JACK  SNIPE 

(Gallinago  delicata) 

Of  all  the  shore  birds  the  jack  snipe,  English  snipe 
or  Wilson  snipe  as  it  is  variously  called,  is  the  most 
highly  prized  as  a  table  delicacy  and  furnishes  the  best 
sport  with  the  dog  and  gun.  Uusually  lying  well  for 
the  dog,  erratic  in  its  flight  and  quick  on  the  wing,  the 
Wilson  snipe  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  birds  to  bring 
to  bag.  It  is  not  only  erratic  in  its  flight,  but  it  is 
erratic  in  its  nature  as  well.  One  day  it  will  be  found 
on  a  given  feeding  ground  in  abundance  and  on  the 
next  not  one  is  to  be  seen,  while  possibly  the  day  fol- 
lowing they  are  there  again  in  great  numbers.  To  this 
uncertainty  and  the  corkscrew  flight,  peculiar  to  it 
110 


gj-2 

If 

1 


fb 

I 

ii 

H 

i! 


Is 

I  02 


alone,  is  due  much  of  the  charm  that  jack  snipe  shoot- 
ing affords.  While  these  birds  are  commonly  called 
jack  snipe  or  English  snipe,  their  proper  name  is  Wil- 
son snipe,  but  like  the  rose,  no  matter  what  the  name, 
they  are  just  as  gamy  and  just  as  delicious.  The  Wil- 
son snipe  migrates  here  to  but  little  extent,  and  these 
migrations  are  altitudinal  rather  than  latitudinal.  They 
breed  commonly  in  all  the  mountain  valleys  and  even 
as  low  down  as  on  the  Sacramento  marshes  south  of 
the  city  of  the  same  name.  I  found  a  pair  breeding  a 
few  years  ago  in  the  low  hills  of  San  Luis  Obispo  coun- 
ty not  half  a  mile  from  the  ocean  beach. 

Color — Head,  black,  with  a  central  stripe  of  brown; 
back,  a  mixture  of  dark  brown,  pale  brown,  yellow  and 
dull  white;  greater  wing-coverts,  dark  brown,  tipped 
with  white;  throat,  dull  white,  barred  with  brown;  a 
dark  stripe  running  from  the  base  of  the  bill  across  the 
eye  to  the  occiput;  under  parts  of  the  wings,  dull  white, 
barred  with  black;  tail  feathers,  dark  brown,  tipped 
with  white,  and  with  a  sub-terminal  bar  of  black.  No 
web  between  the  toes. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  a  very  crude  affair  made 
on  the  ground  and  with  but  little  lining  of  any  kind.  It 
contains  from  three  to  four  grayish  eggs,  blotched 
with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  11  inches;  wing,  5*£; 
bill,  3  inches. 

THE  DOWITCHER,  OR  RED-BREASTED 
SNIPE 


ERRATA— 

In  the  make-up  of  a  few  pages  on  the  shore  birds 
the  scientific  names  have  become  transposed.      They 
should  read : 
Page  112.  Dowitcher  (Macrorhampus  scolopaceus). 

"    114.  Yellow-legs  (Totanus  melanoleucus.). 

"      "    Marlin  (Limosa  fedoa). 

"  116.  Red-backed  sandpiper  (Tringaalpinapacifica) 

"    "    Willet  (Symphemia  Semipalmata  inornata). 

the  eye  to  the  occiput;  chin,  dull  white;  breast,  gray, 
with  a  tinge  of  cinnamon  red;  tail,  banded  with  dark 
brown;  a  small  web  between  the  outer  and  middle  toes, 
extending  about  one-fourth  down  the  outer  toe. 

Eggs  and   Nest — Nest  made  on  the  ground  and  con- 
taining from  three  to  four  dull  white  eggs. 
112 


Measurements — Total  length,  10%  inches;  wing,  5%; 
bill,  about  2%  inches,  and  with  a  considerable  swelling 
at  the  end. 

THE  GREATER  YELLOW-LEGS 

(Limosa  fedoa) 

The  greater  yellow-legs  migrates  throughout  the  en- 
tire region,  being  common  on  the  beaches  of  Washing- 
ton, Oregon  and  California  during  the  fall  and  early 
winter  as  it  works  its  way  to  Lower  California  and 
Mexico.  It  somewhat  resembles  the  godwit  in  coloring, 
but  it  is  more  of  a  grayish  tinge.  Its  shorter  bill — 
not  over  two  and  a  half  inches  in  length — will  always 
distinguish  it  from  the  godwit.  So,  also,  will  its  sharp 
whistling  note.  It  is  nearly  as  delicate  a  table  bird  as 
the  Wilson  snipe. 

Color — Top  of  head  and  neck,  brown,  with  whitish 
streaks;  back,  brown,  with  the  feathers  edged  with 
white;  chin,  white;  .breast,  white,  lined  with  narrow 
streaks  of  brown;  bill,  black,  and  legs,  yellow. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  built  close  to  the  wat- 
er's edge,  containing  four  light  buff  eggs,  spotted  with 
brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  14  inches;  wing,  7%; 
bill,  2%  to  2%  inches. 

THE  MARLIN,  OR  MARBLED   GODWIT 

(Tringa   alpina  pacifica) 

The  marbled  godwit,  or  marlin  as  it  is  also  called, 
is  one  of  the  largest  birds  of  the  Scolopacidae  family. 
It  ranges  from  Alaska  to  Central  America.  This  species 
is  seen  in  large  numbers  in  the  early  fall  along  the  sea 
beaches  of  California  as  they  are  working  their  way 
south.  They  spend  the  winter  in  great  quantities  in 
Lower  California  and  Mexico.  There  should  be  no  diffi- 
culty in  distinguishing  the  godwit  from  any  of  the  other 
shore  birds,  its  long  upward  curved  bill  and  brownish- 
barred  back  being  features  by  which  it  may  always  be 
known. 

Color — Top  of  head  and  back  of  neck,  brown,  streaked 
with  paler  brown;  feathers  of  the  back,  brown,  with 
ochreous  edges;  throat  and  forehead,  pale  buff,  with 
faint  markings  of  brown;  bill  slightly  turned  upward. 

Nest  and  Eggs — Nest  a  crude  affair  on  the  ground, 
containing  four  eggs  of  an  ash  color,  mottled  with  a 
dead  brown. 

114 


Measurements — Total  length,  19  inches;  wing,  8%; 
bill,  about  4  inches. 

THE  RED-BACKED  SANDPIPER 
(Macrorhamphus  scholopaceus) 

The  red-backed  sandpiper,  or  American  dunlin,  is 
one  of  the  larger  members  of  the  genus  and  quite  plenti- 
ful on  the  Coast  marshes,  but  it  is  seldom  seen  in  the 
interior  valleys  except  during  its  migrations.  In  its 
winter  plumage,  in  which  our  sportsmen  see  it,  it  is  of 
a  dull  light  gray  color.  A  diagnostic  feature  of  this 
species  is  the  slightly  downward  curved  bill. 

Color — Head  and  upper  parts,  light  gray,  with  a  white 
stripe  over  the  eye;  shafts  of  the  feathers  are  dark 
brown,  producing  a  streaky  appearance.  In  its  summer 
plumage  the  head  and  back  are  reddish  brown,  wings 
brownish  and  abdomen  black. 

Nest  and  Eggs — Nests  on  the  ground  without  lining. 
Eggs,  bluish  white,  with  brown  spots. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  8^  inches;  wing, 
4%;  bill,  1%. 

THE  WILLET 

(Totanus  melanoleucus) 

The  willet,  or  stone  curlew  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
is  a  resident  species,  breeding  from  Wasington  to  Mex- 
ico. It  is  a  western  bird,  ranging  eastward  to  the 
Mississippi  valley,  where  it  is  but  a  straggler.  In  size 
it  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  marlin.  Its  black  wings, 
with  broad,  white  patches,  and  feet  webbed  for  about 
half  the  length  of  the  toes,  are  distinguishing  features, 
easily  recognized.  It  is  generally  found  on  the  salt 
marshes. 

Color — The  general  color  of  the  plumage  is  ashy 
white  or  light  gray,  usually  with  some  light  buff  mark- 
ings on  the  breast.  When  flying  it  shows  a  broad,  white 
patch  on  the  wings,  caused  by  the  upper  part  of  the 
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smoky  black  axillars  will  always  distinguish  it. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  any  place  on  the  ground 
where  it  can  deposit  three  or  four  pale  buff  eggs,  spot- 
ted with  dark  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  15%  inches;  wing,  8%; 
bill,  21/2  to  2%  inches. 

116 


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THE  LONG-BILLED  CURLEW 
(Numenius  longirostris) 

The  long-billed  curlew,  or  sickle  bill  as  it  is  often 
called,  is  a  plentiful  resident  in  all  suitable  localities. 
The  young  birds  mature  early  and  find  their  way  to  the 
marshes  during  August,  when  the  season  for  their  kill- 
ing should  begin.  At  this  time  and  even  during  the 
month  of  September  they  are  quite  palatable,  but  later 
they  become  strong  in  flavor.  In  these  months  they 
feed  largely  upon  the  seeds  and  insects  to  be  found 
on  the  plains,  but  later  they  confine  themselves  prin- 
cipally to  the  marshes.  They  breed  near  the  mountain 
lakes  and  streams  and  even  to  considerable  extent  on 
the  lower  grounds.  A  glance  at  the  accompanying  illu- 
stration will  be  sufficient  to  enable  the  uninitiated  to  al- 
ways know  a  curlew. 

Color — Head,  back  of  neck  and  back,  dark  brown, 
mottled  with  buff;  throat  and  under  parts,  pale  buff, 
the  feathers  on  the  breast  being  streaked  with  brown; 
axillars,  reddish  brown. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  made  on  the 
ground  in  tall  grass  and  back  some  distance  from  the 
marsh.  The  eggs  are  about  four  and  of  an  olive  gray, 
spotted  with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  without  the  bill,  which 
varies  very  much,  about  20  inches;  wing,  9  to  11;  bill, 
from  four  to  eight  inches,  and  bent  downwards,  with 
nearly  as  much  curve  as  a  sickle;  in  most  specimens 
the  bill  will  be  about  six  inches  in  length. 

THE  HUDSONIAN  CURLEW 

(Numenius  hudsonicus) 

The  Hudsonian  curlew,  or  jack  curlew,  by  which  name 
it  is  also  known,  is  also  a  common  visitor  to  our  hunt- 
ing grounds.  It  is  often  seen  mixed  with  flocks  of  the 
preceding  species,  which  leads  many  to  suppose  that 
they  are  the  younger  birds  of  that  species.  Unlike  the 
long-billed,  the  Hudsonian  curlew  is  not  a  resident  spe- 
cies, or,  at  least,  not  to  so  great  an  extent,  although  it 
makes  its  appearance  on  our  marshes  quite  early  in 
the  season,  even  as  far  south  as  central  California.  In 
markings  the  two  species  are  almost  identical,  with  the 
exception  that  the  Hudsonian  is  somewhat  paler  in 
shade.  Any  doubt  arising  as  to  which  species  a  speci- 
men may  belong  can  easily  be  settled  by  an  examina- 
tion of  the  axillar  plumes.  If  a  long-bill,  these  feathers 
will  be  a  solid  reddish-brown,  but  if  a  Hudsonian,  they 
119 


will  be  of  a  pale  buff  color  barred  with  a  dull-brown,  the 
buff  and  brown  being  nearly  of  the  same  width.  Both 
species  become  less  common  north  of  southern  Cali- 
fornia during  the  late  winter  months. 

Color — Same  as  the  long-billed  curlew,  except  that  it 
is  a  little  paler  on  the  under  parts,  and  the  mottling 
shows  more  distinctly  on  the  back.  The  axillars  are 
pale  buff,  distinctly  barred  with  light  brown. 

Nest  and   Eggs — The  same  as  the  long-billed  curlew. 

Measurements — Total  length,  including  bill,  which 
varies  but  little  in  this  species,  about  17  inches;  wing, 
9,  and  bill  about  3y2  inches. 

BLACK-BELLIED   PLOVER 
(Charadrous  squaterola) 

The  largest  of  the  family  Charadridae  is  the  black- 
bellied  plover.  In  its  plumage,  both  summer  and  win- 
ter, it  closely  resembles  the  golden  plover,  as  the  black 
on  the  sides  of  the  head,  front  of  neck,  breast  and  abdo- 
men disappear  from  both  species  in  their  winter  plum- 
age. But,  notwithstanding  this,  they  can  easily  be  dis- 
tinguished by  the  small  rudimentary  hind  toe  of  the 
black-bellied  species,  the  other  having  but  three  toes. 
A  few  specimens  of  the  golden  plover  have  been  taken 
on  the  Coast,  but  it  is  of  rare  occurrence.  The  black- 
bellied  plover  is  reasonably  common  along  the  coast 
line,  but  it  is  not  seen  to  any  great  extent  in  the  interior 
valleys. 

Color — Upper  plumage,  dull  brown,  mottled  with  gray, 
the  top  of  the  head  being  somewhat  darker;  under 
parts,  nearly  white  and  the  sides  and  breast  streaked 
with  brown.  In  the  summer  the  throat  and  belly  are 
black. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  usually  made  on  the  up- 
lands, where  four  eggs  are  deposited  of  a  pale  olive, 
spotted  with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  11  inches;  wing,  7%, 
and  bill,  l1^  inches. 

THE  MOUNTAIN  PLOVER 

(AEgialitis  montana) 

The  mountain  plover  is  very  plentiful  on  the  plains 
of  southern  California  during  the  winter  months.  This 
little  bird  as  a  table  delicacy  is  not  surpassed  by  any 
of  the  long  list  of  shore  birds.  In  fact  it  is  perferred 
by  many  to  the  far-famed  jack  snipe.  It  is  an  upland 
121 


bird,  feeding  largely  on  insects,  and  rarely  found  near 
the  marshes  whether  salt  or  fresh-water.  In  its  win- 
ter plumage,  as  seen  here,  its  underparts  are  white  with 
the  breast  and  upper  parts  of  a  brownish  gray. 

Color — Throat,  breast  and  under  parts,  white;  the 
rest  of  the  plumage,  light  burnish  gray;  sometimes  the 
breast  will  show  a  slight  tinge  of  buff;  axillars,  white; 
bill,  black.  Three  toes  without  web. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  placed  on  the  uplands 
and  contain  three  grayish  eggs,  spotted  with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  8%  inches;  wing,  6,  and 
bill,  9-10  of  an  inch. 

THE  SNOWY  PLOVER 

(AEgialitis  nivosa) 

The  snowy  plover  is  quite  common  from  northern 
California  to  Mexico.  It  is  a  small  bird  and,  while  it  is 
hunted  but  little,  its  flesh  is  quite  delicate.  In  its  win- 
ter plumage  it  is  much  lighter  in  color  than  any  of  the 
others  named. 

Color — Top  of  head,  back  of  neck  and  back,  buffish 
gray;  forehead  and  under  parts,  white;  a  patch  of 
dull  brown  just  above  the  white  of  the  forehead,  and 
another  of  the  same  color  on  each  side  of  the  throat. 
Three  toes  without  web. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nests  are  found  throughout  its 
range;  they  are  nothing  more  than  a  depression  in  the 
sand  and  contain  four  grayish  buff  eggs,  spotted  with 
black. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  6%  inches;  wing, 
4%,  and  bill  %  of  an  inch. 

THE  RING-NECKED  PLOVER 

(AEgialitis  semipalmata) 

The  ring-neck  plover  is  a  fairly  common  visitor  dur- 
ing the  winter  months.  It  is  usually  seen  on  the  coast 
or  on  other  sandy  shores.  It  may  be  known  by  its 
partially  webbed  feet. 

Color — Forehead,  chin  and  neck,  white,  with  a  faint 
streak  of  dull  brown  from  the  bill  under  the  eye  to  the 
back  of  the  neck;  a  band  of  dull,  brownish  gray  on  the 
breast;  back  and  wings,  ashy  gray;  under  parts,  white; 
bill,  black  with  a  spot  of  orange  at  the  base.  Three  toes 
which  are  webbed  for  about  half  their  length. 

Nest  and  Eggs — Nests  are  made  in  the  sand  and  con- 
tain from  three  to  four  dirty  white  eggs,  spotted  with 
brown. 

123 


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Measurements — Total  length,  6%  inches;  wing,  4%, 
and  bill,  %  inch. 

WILSON'S  PLOVER 
(AEgialitis  wilsonia) 

While  the  Wilson  plover  is  found  to  some  extent  on 
the  southern  Atlantic  Coast,  it  may  properly  be  said  to 
be  a  Pacific  species.  Here  it  is  seen  on  the  beaches 
in  large  numbers,  just  beyond  the  reach  of  the  surf, 
picking  the  insects  and  minute  shellfish  as  they  are 
washed  on  the  sand,  or  flying  in  flocks  just  above  the 
breakers. 

Coloi — Forehead  and  stripe  over  the  eye,  white;  black 
stripe  in  front  of  crown;  top  of  head  and  stripe  from 
the  eye  to  the  bill,  black;  black  band  just  below  the 
throat;  back,  gray;  under  parts,  white;  bill  black,  and 
legs  and  feet,  light  pink. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  a  mere  depression  in 
the  ground,  with  three  to  four  eggs  of  a  pale  olive, 
spotted  with  dark  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  7  to  8  inches;  wing,  4 
to  5;  bill,  about  %  of  an  inch.  Three  toes  with  a  small 

There  are  a  number  of  other  plovers  on  the  hunt- 
ing grounds  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  but  they  are  either 
too  small  or  the  flesh  too  poor  to  interest  the  sports- 
man. Of  these  the  killdeer  plover  is  the  most  com- 
mon and  the  best  known.  A  description  of  these  wrould 
be  of  no  interest  to  the  sportsman  and  therefore  add 
nothing  to  the  purposes  of  this  work. 

THE  AVOSET 
(Recurvirostra  americana) 

The  family  Recurvirostridae  has  but  two  representa- 
tives on  the  Coast.  The  American  avocet  breeds  from 
Washington  southward  and  spends  its  winters  from 
central  California  south.  They  are  quite  plentiful  in 
southern  California  during  the  winter  months,  increas- 
ing in  numbers  in  Lower  California  and  Mexico.  Its 
webbed  feet  and  long  upward  turned  bill  are  features 
by  which  it  may  always  be  known.  It  is  generally 
found  in  flocks  and  frequents  both  fresh  and  salt- 
waters, 

Color — Head  and  neck,  ashy  gray;  back  and  under 
parts,  white;  the  primaries  and  upper  half  of  the  sec- 
ondaries, black,  making  the  wing  about  half  black; 

125 


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bill,  very  slender  and  curved  upward;  legs,  very  long 
and  of  a  lead  color;  feet,  webbed. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  contains  three  to  four  eggs 
of  a  pale  olive,  spotted  with  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  19  inches;    wing, 

8,  and  bill,  3y2  inches. 

THE  BLACK-NECKED  STILT 

(Himantopus  mexicanus) 

The  black-necked  stilt  is  the  other  representative  of 
the  family.  The  stilt  breeds  as  far  north  as  eastern 
Oregon,  but  is  little  seen  north  of  southern  California 
in  the  winter.  From  there  south  it  is  plentiful.  It  may 
be  easily  known  by  the  back  of  its  head  and  neck,  its 
back  being  black  and  the  rest  of  the  plumage  nearly 
pure  white.  Its  legs  are  a  dark  pink. 

Color — Wings,  back,  back  of  neck  and  top  of  head, 
black;  balance  of  the  plumage,  white;  legs,  dark  pink 
and  very  long.  Toes,  three  and  partly  webbed. 

Nest  and  Eggs — The  nest  is  rarely  anything  but  bare 
ground  on  which  is  deposited  three  to  four  eggs  of  a 
pale  brown,  spotted  with  dark  brown. 

Measurements — Total  length,  about  15%  inches;  wing, 

9,  and  bill  2%  inches. 


127 


Caudal  Jin 


THE  GAME  FISHES  OF  THE 
PACIFIC  COAST 

Like  in  that  portion  of  this  work  devoted  to  the 
game  birds,  this  also  is  written  in  popular  language, 
avoiding,  as  far  as  possible,  all  technical  words  and 
phrases,  with  the  intention  of  furnishing  a  plain  de- 
scription of  the  game  fishes  of  the  Coast  which  any- 
one, unlearned  in  the  science  of  ichthyology,  may  un- 
derstand, and  by  which  be  able  to  identify  any  of  the 
fishes  he  may  capture. 

With  fishes,  like  with  birds,  there  are  certain  parts 
that  must  be  referred  to  in  order  to  show  wherein  one 
species  differs  from  another.  Wherever  these  parts 
have  a  common  English  name,  that  name  has  been 
used.  But  as  there  are  a  few  parts  that  can  only  be 
referred  to  by  their  scientific  names,  a  diagram  has 
been  added  showing  the  location  of  all  parts  referred 
to  in  the  text. 

In  scope  it  treats  only  of  such  varieties  as  rise  to 
the  fly  or  are  caught  by  trolling  with  rod  and  reel, 
whether  from  the  stream,  lake,  bay  or  ocean,  and  fur- 
nish sport  to  the  angler  who  fishes  for  the  exhilarating 
pleasure  their  capture  affords. 

The  Pacific  Coast  is  rich  in  game  fishes,  not  only  in 
the  varieties  found  in  its  lakes  and  streams,  but  as  well 
the  varieties  found  in  its  lakes  and  stream,  but  as  well 
in  its  bays  and  estuaries,  while  the  broad  ocean  fur- 
nishes varieties  whose  size  and  fighting  qualities  are 
not  surpassed,  even  if  equaled,  in  any  other  part  of 
the  world.  To  place  in  the  hands  of  the  young  angler, 
and  others  who  may  not  have  given  the  subject  the 
necessary  attention,  a  convenient  handbook  by  the 
aid  of  which  even  the  novice  may  readily  recognize 
the  species  of  fish  he  has  landed,  is  the  object  of  these 
pages. 


All  of  the  salmon,  the  trout,  the  chars,  the  white- 
fish  and  the  lake  herring  have  been  classed  by  the 
naturalist  in  one  family  and  given  the  name,  Salmon- 
idae;  but  it  is  only  with  three  genera  of  the  subfamily, 
Salmoninae  that  we  are  concerned.  These  are  the 
Pacific  salmon  (Oncorhynchus),  the  true  trout  (Salmo) 
and  the  Eastern  trout  and  the  dolly  varden  trout 
Salvelinus).  The  Atlantic  salmon  belong  to  the  genus 
Salmo,  the  same  as  the  true  trout,  and  have  but  one 
species  (Salmo  salar),  which  partake  more  of  the  habits 
of  the  trout  than  do  their  Pacific  cousins. 
129 


THE  PACIFIC  SALMON 
(Oncorhynchus) 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  salmon  is  one  of 
the  most  valuable  of  all  the  food  fishes,  but  little  is 
known  of  its  habits  after  it  leaves  the  stream  in  which 
it  is  hatched  until  it  returns  to  spawn,  supposed  to  be 
from  three  to  four  years  afterward.  Whether  they 
remain  near  the  mouths  of  the  streams,  or  whether 
they  migrate  to  distant  feeding  grounds  are  questions 
that  have  never  been  solved.  All  of  the  five  species 
are  caught  with  seins  in  Puget  Sound  in  greater  or 
less  numbers  all  the  year  round.  From  the  action  of 
those  that  spawn  in  the  Sacramento  river  it  would 
seem  that  they  migrate  southward  and  far  out  to  sea, 
for  on  their  return  to  spawn  they  enter  Monterey  Bay 
only  on  its  southern  side,  and  following  around  it  at 
no  great  distance  from  the  shore,  leave  it  at  the  north- 
ern headlands  and  skirt  the  shore  northward  until  they 
reach  the  entrance  to  San  Francisco  Bay  on  their  way 
up  the  Sacramento  river.  Where  the  young  fish  make 
their  habitat  from  the  time  they  drift  down  the  stream 
in  which  they  were  spawned  until  they  return  again  to 
spawn  has  never  been  determined.  They  spawn  but 
once  and  die  soon  afterward.  As  I  know  that  this  last 
statement  will  be  disputed  by  some,  for  reasons  best 
known  to  themselves,  I  will  quote  from  that  excellent 
work  by  Evermann  and  Jordan,  "American  Food  and 
Game  Fishes."  "We  have  carefully,"  say  these  gentle- 
men, "examined  the  spawning  habits  of  both  forms  of 
the  red  fish  and  chinook  salmon  in  the  head  waters  of 
Salmon  river,  Idaho,  during  two  entire  seasons,  from 
the  time  the  fish  arrived  in  July  until  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember, by  which  time  all  the  fish  had  disappeared. 
A  number  of  important  questions  were  settled  by  these 
investigations.  In  the  first  place  it  was  found  that  all 
of  the  fish  arrived  upon  the  spawning  grounds  in  per- 
fect physical  condition,  so  far  as  external  appearances 
indicated;  no  sores,  bruises  or  other  mutilations  show- 
ing on  any  of  more  than  4000  fish  examined.  During  the 
spawning,  however,  the  majority  became  more  or  less 
injured  by  rubbing  against  the  gravel  of  the  spawning- 
beds,  or  by  fighting  with  one  another.  Soon  after  done 
spawning  every  one  of  them  died,  not  only  both  forms 
of  the  red  fish  but  the  chinook  salmon  as  well.  The 
dying  is  not  due  to  the  injuries  the  fish  received  on 
the  spawning-grounds;  many  were  seen  dying  or  dead 
which  showed  no  external  or  other  injuries  whatever. 
The  dying  of  the  West  Coast  salmon  is  in  no  manner 
determined  by  distance  from  the  sea.  Observations 
131 


made  by  us  and  others  elsewhere  show  that  the  in- 
dividuals of  all  species  of  the  Oncorhynchus  die  after 
one  spawning,  whether  the  spawning-beds  are  remote 
from  the  sea  or  only  a  short  distance  from  salt-water." 

The  angler's  concern,  however,  is  not  so  much  with 
the  procreative  habits  of  the  salmon  as  it  is  with  their 
behavior  while  feeding  and  after  being  hooked. 

Salmon  are  rarely  caught  by  still  fishing,  but  they 
will  take  the  spoon  or  a  sardine  or  other  small  fish 
impaled  upon  the  hook.  They  take  the  bait  generally 
with  some  hesitation,  though  at  times  they  strike  it 
with  all  the  impetuosity  of  the  trout.  Then  the  singing 
reel  calls  for  careful  and  immediate  action  on  the  part 
of  the  angler,  for  the  ten  to  forty  pound  fish  on  his 
light  tackle  is  going  to  put  up  a  fight  worthy  of  his 
skill.  In  his  mad  rush  for  liberty  the  gamy  fish  grad- 
ually rises  to  the  surface,  and  when  at  last  checked  by 
the  skill  of  the  angler,  he  will  often  leap  out  of  the 
water  to  a  height  of  from  four  to  eight  feet,  his  beau- 
tiful sides  scintilating  in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  forming 
a  picture  to  gladden  the  heart  of  the  angler,  for  if  he 
be  a  true  sportsman  he  will  fish  with  such  tackle  only 
as  will  give  his  adversary  a  fair  chance  in  the  fight 
and  require  the  fullest  exercise  of  his  own  knowledge 
and  skill  to  bring  his  fish  to  gaff.  The  salmon  is  a 
strong  fighter  but  his  rushes  do  not  last  long  for  a  fish 
of  its  size.  For  this  reason  much  of  the  sport  of  salmon 
fishing  is  lost  through  the  use  of  too  heavy  tackle.  The 
writer  landed  one  without  difficulty  weighing  33 % 
pounds  on  a  nine  thread,  Cutty  hunk  line  and  a  5%  foot 
steel  rod  weighing  less  than  six  ounces,  and  I  believe 
that  a  fifty  pound  fish  can  be  landed  with  the  same 
tackle.  Trolling  with  hand  lines  for  salmon  is  prac- 
ticed by  some,  but  such  is  not  angling.  Hauling  in  an 
impaled  fish  hand  over  hand  with  a  small  cable  is 
neither  sport  nor  sportsmanlike. 

THE  CHINOOK,  OR  KING  SALMON 

(Oncorhynchus  tschawytscha) 
This  species  has  a  multiplicity  of  names,  being  known 
in  different  localities  as  chinook,  quinnat,  king,  Sacra- 
mento river  and  Columbia  river  salmon,  besides  half 
a  dozen  or  more  Indian  names.  Its  distribution  is  the 
widest  of  any  of  the  Pacific  salmon,  ranging  on  both 
sides  of  the  ocean  from  the  latitude  of  Monterey  Bay 
to  Behring  Straits.  The  run  begins  on  the  Columbia 
river  as  early  as  the  latter  part  of  February,  many  of 
the  fish  going  up  its  tributaries  1000  miles  or  more  to 
spawn.  Farther  south  the  run  becomes  gradually  later. 
132 


The  spawning  season  also  varies  with  the  locality,  and 
ranges  from  the  latter  part  of  July  to  the  middle  of 
November.  The  date  of  spawning  seems  to  be  deter- 
mined by  the  temperature  of  the  water,  for  It  is  said 
that  the  salmon  will  not  spawn,  even  if  on  the  spawn- 
ing grounds,  until  the  water  has  fallen  to  a  temper- 
ature of  54  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

The  chinook  salmon  is  the  largest  of  the  family, 
specimens  having  been  taken  in  Alaska  waters  that 
have  weighed  100  pounds,  while  50  to  60  pound  fish  are 
common.  Those  taken  in  the  Columbia  river  are  said 
to  average  22  pounds,  while  the  average  of  the  Sacra- 
mento river  catch  is  16. 

Head,  rather  pointed;  eye,  small  and  situated  a  little 
in  front  of  the  back  of  the  mouth;  body,  rounded  and 
full,  the  deepest  part  being  about  midway  of  its  length; 
pectoral  fins,  short  and  situated  low  and  just  behind 
the  gills;  dorsal  fin,  nearly  midway  of  the  back;  ven- 
tral fins,  a  little  behind  the  center  of  the  dorsal;  anal 
fin  about  half  way  between  the  ventral  and  the  tail; 
adipose  fin,  a  little  in  front  of  the  rear  of  the  ventrals; 
caudal  fin,  or  tail,  slightly  forked. 

The  back,  dorsal  fin  and  tail  are  generally  well  cov- 
ered with  dark  brownish  black  spots.  There  are  few 
spots  as  a  rule  on  the  head,  and  those  are  of  a  slaty 
color. 

There  is  always  some  variation  in  color,  but  usually 
the  back  is  quite  dark,  turning  to  bluish  on  the  sides 
and  light  silver  below.  As  the  spawning  season  ap- 
proaches, the  jaws  of  the  males  become  lengthened  and 
badly  distorted  and  the  color  changes  to  more  of  a  pink- 
ish hue  and  blotched  in  appearance.  The  gills  are  nev- 
er alike  on  both  sides,  varying  from  15  to  19  in  num- 
ber. (See  plate  giving  names  of  all  parts  mentioned.) 

BLUEBACK,   OR  SOCK-EYE  SALMON, 
REDFISH 

(Oncorhynchus  nerka) 

This  species  is  next  in  commercial  value  to  the 
chinook.  It  has  been  taken  occasionally  in  the  Sacra- 
mento river  but  it  is  not  common  south  of  the  Columbia 
river.  The  run  of  this  species  begins  about  the  first  of 
April  and  the  fish  go  as  far  as  Salmon  river,  Idaho, 
fully  1000  miles  from  the  sea  to  spawn.  By  a  peculiar 
instinct  this  species  only  run  up  such  rivers  as  have 
lakes  at  their  heads,  and  spawn  in  the  lakes  or  at  tn« 
mouths  of  little  streams  emptying  into  them,  in  many 
133 


of  the  lakes  of  Oregon  and  Washington  are  founu  the 
young  of  the  blue-back  salmon  which  are  commonly 
called  redfish.  These  fish  never  leave  these  lakes  and 
therefore  never  attain  a  size  of  more  than  five  to  seven 
pounds. 

Head,  short  and  pointed  and  light  olive  in  color;  un- 
der jaw,  white;  body,  long,  slim  and  rather  flattened; 
back,  blue;  sides,  silver;  belly,  dull  white;  dorsal  fin, 
dark;  others  flesh  color;  tail,  rather  narrow  and  well 
forked;  gills,  13  to  15.  As  the  spawning  season  ap- 
proaches the  whole  fish  takes  on  a  decided  reddish  cast, 
which  sometimes  becomes  as  dark  as  a  brick-red.  The 
jaw  becomes  very  much  hooked,  and  a  few  spots  ap- 
pear. 

THE  SILVER  SALMON 

(Oncorhynchus  kisutch) 

In  line  of  importance  the  silver  salmon  occupies  the 
next  place.  It  is  also  known  by  a  number  of  names, 
among  which  are  koho,  skowitz  and  kisutch.  It  is  a 
small  fish,  rarely  exceeding  16  inches  in  length  and 
never  reaching  more  than  ten  pounds  in  weight.  Its 
range  is  from  Alaska  south  to  Monterey  Bay,  where  it 
has  recently  been  planted  and  seems  to  flourish.  It 
spawns  in  the  smaller  coast  streams,  never  going  far 
from  the  salt  water.  Its  run  begins  about  the  first 
of  September,  spawning  in  October  and  November. 

Head,  short  with  blunt  snout;  opercles  or  gill  covers, 
very  convex;  body,  shaped  very  much  like  the  Chinook; 
back,  bluish  green;  sides,  silver  white.  It  has  but  few 
spots  and  these  are  confined  pretty  much  to  the  head, 
upper  fins  and  tail.  Gills,  13  or  14. 

THE  HUMP-BACK  SALMON 
(Oncorhynchus  gorbuscha) 

This  is  another  small  species,  rarely  exceeding  six 
pounds  in  weight  but  more  commonly  from  three  to 
four.  Its  range  is  from  the  Sacramento  river,  where  it 
appears  in  limited  numbers,  north  to  Alaska. 

Body,  slim,  scales  very  small;  back,  blue  and  sides 
silvery  white.  Profusely  spotted  on  the  after  part  of 
the  back,  with  large  oval  spots  on  the  tail.  Gills,  11 
to  13. 

THE  DOG  SALMON 
(Oncorhynchus  keta) 

The  dog  salmon  rarely  exceeds  ten  pounds  in  weight. 
134 


Its  range  is  from  the  Sacramento  river  north,  and  its 
spawning-grounds  the  small  streams  up  which  it  never 
extends  any  great  distance  from  the  salt  water. 

Head,  quite  pike-like  in  shape  and  therefore  much 
longer  and  slimmer  than  the  Chinook.  Back,  dirty 
brown,  with  the  sides  of  much  the  same  color,  but  of 
a  lighter  tint;  fins,  very  dark;  very  few  distinct  spots, 
with  those  showing  very  small;  gills,  13  or  14. 

Tackle  and  Lure — The  Pacific  salmon  are  only  caught 
by  trolling.  They  will  take  a  spoon,  or  any  live  bait. 
The  most  successful  lure,  however,  is  a  sardine,  or 
other  small  fish  of  six  to  eight  inches  in  length.  Pass 
the  hook  through  both  eyes,  take  a  half  hitch  around 
the  head,  insert  the  point  of  the  hook  in  the  gill  and 
by  bending  the  fish  in  the  shape  of  the  hook  bring  the 
point  out  about  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  from 
the  tail.  This  allows  the  fish  to  remain  curved,  and 
gives  it  a  revolving  motion  while  trolling,  resembling 
a  live,  though  disabled  fish. 

A  salmon  rod  should  consist  of  a  butt  14  to  16  inches 
in  length,  with  a  hand  piece  in  front  of  the  reel;  tip, 
6  feet  long  and  not  to  weigh  more  than  7  ounces;  line 
not  to  exceed  standard  12-thread.  With  fishes  weighing 
from  40  pounds  and  upward,  300  feet  of  line  can  be  used 
to  advantage. 

THE  RAINBOW  TROUT 
(Salmo  irideus) 

There  are  at  least  four  distinct  species  of  trout;  that 
is,  trout  proper  and  chars,  now  common  to  the  coast. 
One  of  these,  the  Eastern  brook  trout,  is  the  result  of 
artificial  hatching  and  distribution.  These,  as  well  as 
the  rainbow,  and  to  lesser  extent  the  cut-throat,  have 
been  so  widely  distributed  by  the  state  fish  commis- 
sion and  private  hatcheries  that  to  attempt  to  give  the 
present  habitat  of  the  several  species  would  be  sure 
to  result  in  many  errors  which  might  be  confounding. 
The  Eastern  brook  trqut  has  taken  kindly  to  our  waters 
and  seem  to  be  doing  well  in  all  suitable  streams. 
Several  other  foreign  species  of  trout  have  been  intro- 
duced into  our  waters  as  well  as  these,  among  which  are 
the  Loch  Loven,  the  German  brown  trout  and  the  Mack- 
inaw, but  the  success  of  their  acclimatization  has  yet 
to  be  fully  determined,  though  the  Loch  Leven  and 
German  brown  seem  to  be  doing  well  in  the  higher 
streams. 

The  Eastern  brook  trout  and  the  native  species, 
known  as  dolly  varden,  are  chars  and  belong  to  the 
136 


genus  Salvelinus,  but  the  rainbow  and  the  cutthroat 
are  true  trout  belonging  to  the  genus  Sal  mo.  The  rain- 
bow and  the  cutthroat  present  a  varity  of  forms  in  dif- 
ferent localities  and  these  have  been  given  separate 
specific  names  by  the  naturalist.  With  many  of  these 
species  (?)  the  only  difference  seems  to  be  too  slight  to 
entitle  them  to  specific  or  even  sub-specific  separation; 
the  variation  being  no  more  than  that  found  in  the 
color  and  markings  of  the  same  fishes  in  the  same 
stream,  caused  by  the  depth  of  the  water,  the  food,  or 
other  local  conditions. 

The  rainbow  trout  is  now  a  resident,  either  through 
natural  or  artificial  distribution,  of  nearly  all  the 
streams  of  the  Coast  from  Washington  to  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. They  vary  in  size,  color  and  number  of  scales 
in  different  localities  and  have  been  given  distinct  spe- 
cific names  in  the  various  sections,  those  of  the  Coast 
streams  of  California  being  used  as  the  typical  form. 
These  several  varieties,  even  in  their  natural  condi- 
tion, showed  very  little,  if  any  positive  line  of  demarka- 
tion,  but  since  the  establishment  of  the  many  hatch- 
eries on  the  Coast  and  the  wide  distribution  of  the  fry 
hatched  from  the  spawn  of  the  rainbow  of  the  Sacra- 
mento and  its  tributaries,  of  the  steelhead  of  the  Eel 
river,  and  of  the  typical  form  of  the  Coast  streams, 
there  seems  but  one  course  now  left,  and  that  is  to 
group  them  all  as  one  species  under  the  original  name 
of  rainbow. 

The  rainbow  is  a  very  handsome  trout,  varying  in 
size  from  adults  of  but  a  few  inches  in  the  smaller 
Coast  streams,  to  25  and  30  inches  long  in  the  larger 
rivers  and  lakes.  Its  dark  spotted  back  and  silvery 
sides  with  the  rich  metallic  colors  of  the  rainbow  streak 
gives  it  a  coloration  that  is  at  once  brilliant  and  pleas- 
ing. As  a  game  fish  it  has  no  superior,  if  indeed  an 
equal.  It  takes  the  fly  with  a  rush,  often  leaping  out 
of  the  water  to  seize  it  as  it  is  descending.  Then  it 
fights  with  a  determination,  often  breaking  three  or 
four  feet  into  the  air,  shaking  its  head  to  free  the  hook 
like  a  terrier  shakes  a  rat.  It  seldom  sounds  and  never 
sulks.  The  rainbow  trout  goes  to  the  sea  at  varying 
ages,  the  same  as  all  other  trout  that  can  get  there 
without  passing  through  long  stretches  of  warm  and 
sluggish  water.  In  the  salt  water  it  attains  a  greater 
size,  changes  its  color  in  accordance  with  the  length 
of  time  it  has  been  there,  but  on  returning  again  to 
the  stream  it  soon  assumes  its  original  plan  of  color- 
ing. 

Head,  about  one-fourth  of  the  whole  length  from  the 
137 


snout  to  the  base  of  the  caudal  fin,  varying  much  with 
age  and  size.  Generally  the  greatest  depth  is  about 
one  fourth  of  the  length  of  the  fish,  but  this  also  varies 
very  much  with  the  character  of  the  waters  it  inhabits. 
In  rapid  running  streams  the  fish  are  always  slimmer 
than  in  more  sluggish  ones.  I  have  known  them  20 
inches  or  more  in  length,  when  confined  in  large  reser- 
voirs, to  become  so  heavy  that  they  would  weigh  one 
pound  to  every  two  inches  in  length.  The  lateral  line, 
or  rainbow  varies,  in  intensity  of  color,  but  always 
showing  in  varying  shades  of  red,  pink,  and  sometimes 
blue  of  a  metallic  luster.  The  vertical  black  blotches 
seen  on  the  sides  are  the  marks  of  immature  fish. 

The  snout  of  the  rainbow  is  considerably  more  round- 
ing than  that  of  the  salmon,  and  the  head  larger  in 
proportion.  The  eye  also  is  much  larger  and  fuller. 
The  shape  and  position  of  the  fins  are  almost  identical 
with  those  of  the  salmon,  but  a  little  larger  in  propor- 
tion to  the  size  of  the  fish.  The  tail,  however,  varies 
considerably,  being  more  rounded,  and  showing  only  a 
slight  indentation  in  the  center. 

THE  GOLDEN  TROUT 
(Salmo  irideus  agua  bonita) 

If  there  is  any  variety  of  the  rainbow  trout  found  on 
the  Coast  that  is  entitled  to  a  sub-specific  name  it  is 
the  golden  trout  of  Mt.  Whitney.  They  were  originally 
found  in  only  a  short  portion  of  two  little  streams  fed 
by  the  snows  of  Mt.  Whitney,  and  vary  but  little  from 
each  other.  In  one  stream  they  have  been  given  the 
name  of  Salmo  irideus  agua  bonita,  and  in  the  other 
that  of  Salmo  irideus  rooseveltii,  after  ex-president 
Roosevelt.  They  are  of  a  beautiful  color  with  scarlet 
markings  at  the  base  of  the  fins  and  with  a  lateral 
stripe  of  bright  scarlet  blending  into  a  rich  orange. 
One  peculiarity  of  these  fish  is  that  the  par  marks  or 
vertical  blotches  on  the  sides  of  other  young  fish  still 
show  on  the  adults  of  these.  This  form  of  the  rainbow 
has  changed  its  color  through  the  process  of  natural 
selection,  caused  no  doubt,  by  the  color  of  the  rocks  in 
the  shallow  streams  it  inhabits.  Below  on  these  same 
streams  where  the  rocks  are  of  a  darker  color  the  fish 
assume  the  natural  color  of  the  rainbow. 

The  writer  is  possibly  the  first  white  man  to  ever 
catch  one  of  the  golden  trout.  They  were  taken  in 
1865  with  a  small  piece  of  the  flank  of  a  deer  skin 
slipped  over  the  hook,  with  the  hair  clipped  to  about 
half  an  inch  in  length.  No  sooner  was  this  improvised 
138 


fly  cast  upon  the  water  than  it  was  eagerly  seized  by 
one  of  these  beautiful  fish.  When  it  was  landed  the 
color  astonished  me,  and  knowing  that  it  was  a  trout,  I 
thought  it  must  be  a  diseased  one  and  threw  it  back. 
Making  another  cast  I  secured  another  one  as  prompt- 
ly as  the  first,  and  it  being  the  same  objectionable 
color  and  of  the  same  size — about  eight  inches — I  con- 
cluded that  it  was  the  same  fish  and  this  time  threw  it 
on  the  bank.  As  fast  as  my  deer  skin  fly  would  strike 
the  water  it  would  be  eagerly  seized  by  one  of  these 
game  little  fellows  and  all  of  the  same  size  and  color. 
I  was  puzzled  and  called  to  my  companion,  who  was 
cooking  our  supper  but  a  few  yards  away,  to  "come  and 
see  what  was  the  matter  with  these  fish."  Professing 
some  scientific  knowledge,  he  cut  one  of  them  open, 
examined  the  meat  and  the  intestines  and  finally  pro- 
nounced it  in  a  healthy  condition,  finishing  with: 

"The  coffee  is  boiling  and  the  bacon  is  fried;  hurry 
up,  and  as  soon  as  you  get  a  mess  I'll  fry  them  and 
take  all  chances." 

I  soon  had  a  mess  for  supper  and  while  he  was  fry- 
ing them  I  caught  enough  for  breakfast,  for  the  game 
little  fellows  would  race  for  the  fly  as  fast  as  it  struck 
the  water.  We  ate  them  with  a  relish,  for  we  had  had 
nothing  but  bacon,  venison  and  frying-pan  bread  for  a 
month.  As  we  found  ourselves  alive  in  the  morning 
we  increased  the  prescription  to  a  good  alapathic  dose 
for  breakfast. 

The  golden  trout  are  small,  rarely  reaching  a  length 
of  more  than  fifteen  inches.  The  back  is  olive,  sides 
and  belly  light  orange  or  golden  yellow  with  a  scarlet 
stripe  along  the  center  of  the  belly  and  at  the  base  of 
the  pectral,  ventral  and  anal  fins,  which  are  of  them- 
selves more  or  less  of  a  golden  color.  Tail,  olive,  grad- 
ing into  orange  on  the  lower  part.  Few  spots  in  front 
of  the  dorsal  fin  but  abundant  behind  it. 

While  the  rainbow  trout  of  the  Coast  have  been 
given  several  sub-specific  names,  such  as  mason i  for 
the  Coast  streams  of  Oregon  and  Washington,  shasta 
and  stonei  for  those  of  the  upper  Sacramento  basin,  and 
gilbert!  for  those  of  Kern  river,  there  seems  to  be  so 
very  little  reason  for  this  distinction  beyond  the  usual 
variations  of  color  in  all  trout,  spots  and  size  with  the 
changing  conditions  of  water  and  feed,  that  I  shall  make 
no  mention  of  the  very  slight  variations  upon  which 
the  ichtheologist  has  based  the  claim  to  a  sub-specific 
nomenclature. 


139 


THE  STEELHEAD  TROUT 
(Salmo  rivularis) 

The  history  of  the  so-called  steelhead  trout  and  the 
efforts  to  class  these  sea-run  fishes  as  a  species  sep- 
arate from  the  rainbow  and  the  cutthroat,  is  interest- 
ing, if  not  amusing.  No  one  questioned  that  they  were 
other  than  the  sea-run  of  the  rainbow  or  the  cutthroat, 
according  to  the  locality,  until  Dr.  Richardson,  mistak- 
ing a  young  blueback  salmon  for  a  so-called  steelhead 
gave  it  the  scientific  name  of  Salmo  gairdneri,  and  the 
description  of  this  young  salmon  was  recognized  as 
that  of  the  steelhead  for  years,  and  under  this  name 
it  appears  in  the  statutes  of  California,  with  a  separate 
season  for  its  protection.  In  other  words  the  Salmo 
gairdneri  of  the  laws  of  California  is  a  young  blueback 
salmon  and  not  a  sea-run  trout  of  any  kind.  Recently 
Dr.  Ayers  to  correct  the  mistake,  examined  a  fish  taken 
from  the  Sacramento  river  and  said  to  be  a  steelhead, 
gave  it  the  name  of  Salmo  rivularis,  and  this  now  stands 
as  the  scientific  name  of  the  so-called  steelhead.  Dr. 
Jordan,  in  an  article  recently  published  in  the  Pacific 
Monthly,  says:  "There  has  been  much  discussion  as 
to  whether  the  steelhead  is  a  species  really  distinct 
from  the  rainbow  trout,  and  on  this  subject  the  writer 
(Jordan)  has  at  different  times  held  different  opinions." 

If  one  authority  bases  his  reasons  for  a  belief  in  a 
specific  difference  between  the  rainbow  and  the  steel- 
head  on  the  fact  that  he  did  find  a  difference  between 
a  blueback  salmon  and  a  rainbow,  and  another  author- 
ity finds  so  little  difference  that  he  holds  different 
opinions  at  different  times,  can  there  be  any  wonder 
that  the  practical  angler,  who  catches  these  sea-run 
fish  at  the  mouths  of  our  rivers  in  every  stage  of  transi- 
tion, or  gradation,  if  you  please,  from  the  typical  rain- 
bow to  the  Simon  pure  steelhead,  refuses  to  believe 
that  there  is  a  specific  difference? 

Then  again,  Messrs.  Jordan  and  Evermann  in  bulle- 
tin 47  of  the  United  States  National  Museum,  "The 
Fishes  of  North  and  Middle  America,"  say:  "In  the 
lower  course  of  the  Columbia  they  (the  steelhead)  are 
entirely  distinct  from  the  cutthroat  or  clarki  series, 
and  no  one  would  question  the  validity  of  the  two 
species.  In  the  lower  Snake  river  and  other  waters 
east  of  the  Cascade  range,  the  two  forms  or  species 
are  indistinguishable,  being  either  undifferenciated  or 
else  inextricably  mixed." 

From  this  it  would  seem  clear  that  the  steelhead  of 
the  Columbia,  where  the  cutthroat  abounds,  are  cut- 
140 


throats  that  have  gone  to  the  sea,  grown  larger  in  the 
larger  body  of  water — a  natural  condition  of  all  fishes 
— and  changed  in  color  and  appearance.  That  while 
they  are  yet  in  the  lower  Columbia  and  only  recently 
from  the  salt  water,  they  still  maintain  a  sufficient  dif- 
ference to  be  easily  distinguished  from  the  cutthroat; 
but  by  the  time  that  they  have  reached  the  "Snake  river 
and  other  waters  east  of  the  Cascade  range,"  their  long 
residence  in  the  fresh  water  has  again  restored  them 
to  their  former  appearance.  The  same  changes  are 
found  with  the  rainbow  and  the  steelhead  of  farther 
south.  All  trout  are  anadromous  to  greater  or  less 
extent,  unless  actually  landlocked  or  living  in  streams 
so  distant  from  the  sea  that  they  would  be  compelled 
to  pass  through  long  stretches  of  warm  and  sluggish 
water  to  reach  it.  The  small  trout  of  the  coast  streams 
are  compelled  to  go  to  the  ocean  quite  early  in  the 
season  by  the  falling  of  the  water  to  such  an  extent 
that  in  many  cases  the  streams  go  dry  before  the  be- 
ginning of  the  winter  rains,  and  in  the  larger  body  of 
water  they  rapidly  increase  in  size.  The  steelhead  of 
the  Columbia  river  always  retains  the  cutthroat  sing- 
manual,  to  greater  or  less  extent,  while  the  steelhead 
of  the  lower  coast  has  no  red  on  the  jaw.  The  claim 
that  the  smaller  head  of  the  steelhead  is  a  distinguish- 
ing mark,  fails  in  effect,  for  it  is  an  undisputable  fact 
that  the  older  and  larger  the  trout  the  smaller  becomes 
the  relative  size  of  the  head.  The  other  claim  that  the 
larger  scales  of  the  rainbow  is  a  distinguishing  feature 
from  the  steelhead  is  not  founded  on  facts.  For  while 
the  scales  of  the  rainbow  counted  along  the  lateral  line 
vary  from  as  low  as  120  in  the  coast  streams,  they 
run  as  high  as  150  in  the  same  streams,  as  high  as  160 
in  the  McCloud  and  185  in  the  Kern.  The  average  being 
135  in  the  smaller  coast  streams,  150  in  the  Sacramento 
basin,  and  170  in  the  Kern.  The  steelhead's  scales  run 
from  130  to  155.  An  average  of  145;  or  exactly  an  aver- 
age of  those  of  the  coast  streams  and  the  Sacramento. 
Were  it  possible  for  the  Kern  river  trout  to  enter  the 
ocean  no  doubt  we  would  find  steelhead  running  as  high 
as  185  to  the  section. 

Whatever  may  be  the  origin  of  the  large  sea-running 
trout  called  steelheads,  the  fact  remains  that  it  is  a 
grand  fish  both  in  size  and  fighting  qualities.  In  the 
ocean  it  eagerly  takes  the  spoon  and  fights  with  a 
vigor  not  even  surpassed  by  the  rainbow  of  the  streams. 
After  a  short  sojourn  in  the  fresh  waters  it  rises  to  a 
fly  just  as  readily. 

Since  the  above  was  written  Dr.  Jordan  has  made  the 
141 


statement  publicly,  that  he  is  thoroughly  convinced  that 
the  rainbow  trout  and  the  so-called  steelhead  are  one 
and  the  same  fish;  the  only  difference  being  that  the 
latter  has  grown  larger  and  changed  its  color  during 
its  life  in  the  salt  water,  this  variation  of  color  return- 
ing again  after  a  short  sojourn  in  the  fresh  water 
streams,  giving  it  all  the  original  appearance  of  the 
rainbow,  or  of  the  cutthroat,  as  the  case  may  be. 

THE  CUTTHROAT  TROUT 

(Salmo  clarki) 

The  cutthroat  trout  very  largely  take  the  place  of 
the  rainbow  in  the  waters  of  northern  California  and  in 
Washington  and  Oregon,  and  its  various  forms  are 
more  common  to  the  lakes.  Like  the  rainbow  they  have 
been  artificially  distributed  to  such  an  extent  that  they 
are  now  found  in  many  of  the  streams  of  California 
and  nearly  all  of  Washington  and  Oregon.  As  a  gen- 
eral rule  they  are  not  as  keen  fighters  as  the  rainbow, 
but  in  the  cold  streams  of  Oregon  and  Washington  they 
put  up  a  fight  worthy  of  the  most  gamy  fish.  In  the 
lakes  of  Washington  and  Oregon,  and  such  as  Tahoe, 
Donner  and  other  large  bodies  of  water  in  California, 
they  reach  a  large  size;  fishes  of  ten  and  twelve  pounds 
being  not  uncommon.  When  not  landlocked  they  go  to 
the  sea  the  same  as  the  rainbow  and  return  as  the 
steelhead  of  the  Columbia  and  other  northern  streams. 
Like  the  rainbow  the  cutthroat  has  been  divided  into 
several  sub-species. 

General  appearance  like  that  of  the  rainbow.  The 
color  on  the  back  is  a  lighter  olive  or  dark  steel  color. 
The  upper  parts  are  generally  thickly  covered  with 
dark  spots,  varying  in  color  and  shape,  and  the  lower 
fins  are  also  spotted  with  smaller  spots.  The  inner 
edge  of  the  lower  jaw  is  strongly  marked  with  deep 
red  and  it  is  from  this  red  mark  on  the  throat  that 
the  species  takes  its  name.  The  sides  are  generally 
of  a  marked  pinkish  hue  or  coppery  brown.  The  red 
mark  of  the  throat  will  always  prove  a  distinguishing 
feature. 

SILVER  TROUT 

(Salmo  tahoensis) 

In  Lake  Tahoe  there  are  two  varieties  of  trout  that 
have  been  given  separate  specific  names.  They  both 
belong  to  the  cutthroat  series,  but  vary  considerable 
from  the  typical  form.  The  one  commonly  called  silver 
trout  is  a  resident  of  the  deep  waters  of  the  lake  and 
142 


grows  to  a  large   size,   specimens   having  been  taken 
fully  30  inches  long. 

Back,  dark  green;   side  and  sides  of  head,  coppery; 
lower  jaw,  yellow.    The  spots  are  so  profuse  that  many 
of  them  run  into  each  other  and  form  long  blotches  in 
many  instances.     All  of  the  fins  are  spotted,  those  on 
the  dorsal  and   the  tail   being  oblong  in   shape.     The 
belly  also  is  covered  with  many  small  spots. 
LAKE  TAHOE  TROUT 
(Salmo  henshawi) 

The  other  variety  of  trout  found  in  Lake  Tahoe,  and 
the  most  common  one,  is  a  very  handsome  fish.  Its 
native  habitat  is  the  lakes  of  Tahoe,  Donner,  Independ- 
ence, Webber,  Pyramid  and  others  of  the  high  moun- 
tains, and  the  Truckee,  Carson  and  Humbolt  rivers. 
Specimens  of  this  trout  have  been  taken  that  weighed 
fully  six  pounds. 

Back,  green,  varying  in  depth  of  color  with  the  water; 
sides,  light,  with  a  strong  coppery  tinge.  The  spots  on 
this  variety  are  generally  quite  large  above,  but  grow- 
ing smaller  below  and  reaching  well  onto  the  belly.  Its 
coppery  sides  and  larger  spots  should  prove  a  dis- 
tinguishing feature.  Like  all  the  cutthroats  it  has  the 
red  markings  below  the  jaws. 

LAKE  SOUTHERLAND   TROUT 
(Salmo  Jordan!) 

Another  peculiar  variety  of  the  cutthroat  trout  is 
found  in  Lake  Southerland  of  Eastern  Washington.  Its 
distinguishing  features  are  its  orange-red  fins  and  in- 
tensely black  spots  which  are  very  profuse.  It  is  a 
gamy  fish  and  full  of  fight  to  the  finish. 

In  several  of  the  lakes  of  Washington  there  are  varie- 
ties of  trout  differing  in  coloration  and  location  of  their 
spots  that  have  been  given  specific  names  by  the  na- 
turalist, such  as  crescent  trout,  beardslee  trout  and 
bathaecetor  trout,  all  residents  of  Crescent  lake.  But 
as  they  all  belong  to  the  cutthroats  and  vary  each  from 
the  other  but  little,  further  mention  is  unnecessary. 

RIO  GRANDE  TROUT 

(Salmo  spilurus) 

The  Rio  Grande  trout,  which  is  also  a  cutthroat,  has 

a  very  limited  distribution  within  the  territorial  scope 

of  this  work.    It  is  found  in  the  streams  of  the  eastern 

slope    of   the    Sierra    Madre    Mountains    of    Chihuahua, 

143 


Mexico.  Its  head  is  shorter  and  more  rounded  than 
the  other  species  of  the  cutthroat,  with  a  mouth  also 
very  large.  The  spots  are  principally  confined  to  the 
latter  half  of  the  body  and  most  profuse  on  the  tail. 

COLORADO  RIVER  TROUT 
(Salmo  pleuriticus) 

The  Colorado  river  trout,  also  a  cutthroat,  is  the  com- 
mon trout  of  Arizona,  where  it  is  found  in  nearly  all 
the  mountain  streams  of  the  territory  which  flow  to 
the  Colorado  river.  It  differs  only  from  the  typical 
cutthroat  by  having  its  spots  mostly  on  that  part  of  the 
body  behind  the  dorsal  fin;  and  the  lower  fins  strongly 
marked  with  red. 

DOLLY  VARDEN  TROUT 
(Salvelinus  parki) 

The  dolly  varden  is  the  only  char  native  to  the  Pa- 
cific Coast,  and  like  the  Eastern  brook  trout  is  not  prop- 
erly a  trout.  They  both  are  chars  and  belong  to  the 
genus  Salvelinus — not  to  the  Salmo.  The  dolly  varden 
often  reaches  a  length  of  thirty  to  thirty-six  inches,  and 
a  weight  of  twelve  pounds.  It  is  a  more  slender  fish 
than  the  rainbow  and  not  so  rounded  on  the  back.  It 
is  very  largely  a  bottom  feeder  and,  therefore,  rather 
of  a  sluggish  nature.  It  rises  but  little  to  the  fly  and 
makes  a  poor  fight. 

Back,  olive  green  but  without  the  marble  markings 
of  the  Eastern  brook  trout.  Spots  on  the  back  and 
sides  are  red,  not  very  close  together  and  about  the 
size  of  three-fourths  of  the  diameter  of  the  eye.  The 
lower  fins  have  a  reddish  tinge,  of  varying  hue  in  dif- 
ferent waters.  It  is  a  native  of  the  McCloud  river  and 
has  been  little  distributed. 

EASTERN  BROOK  TROUT 
(Salvelinus  fontinalis) 

The  Eastern  brook  trout — properly  a  char — was  in- 
troduced into  the  coast  waters  several  years  ago  and 
found  our  waters  so  congenial  that  it  must  now  be  con- 
sidered a  resident  species,  for  it  is  to  be  met  with  in 
many  of  our  streams,  and  thrives  well  in  any  of  the 
higher  localities.  The  brook  trout  is  a  handsome  fish 
with  its  brown  and  olive  marbled  back,  scarlet  spots 
and  salmon-colored  sides.  Its  beauty  has  challenged 
the  cunning  of  the  painter,  and  been  immortalized  by 
the  genius  of  the  poet.  Its  gamy  qualities  stood  for 
144 


centuries  as  beyond  comparison  until  the  bended  rod 
and  singing  reel  announced  the  impalement  of  the  na- 
tive of  the  Golden  West,  with  its  mad  rushes  and  ter- 
rier-like fights;  then  the  rosy  beauty  of  the  East  had 
to  yield  the  palm  to  the  rainbow-colored,  fighting  pirate 
of  the  Pacific. 

The  brook  trout  may  easily  be  distinguished  from  any 
of  the  other  trout  of  the  coast  by  its  marbled  back  and 
red  spotted  sides.  Besides  this  the  whole  fish  is  more 
of  a  pinkish  color.  It  varies  in  size  like  the  others  of 
the  family,  according  to  the  waters  it  inhabits,  attain- 
ing about  the  same  size  as  the  rainbow  in  the  same 
waters. 

Tackle  and  Lure — On  account  of  over  fishing  the 
streams,  and  the  very  bad  habit  of  killing  so  many 
small  fish,  the  majority  of  the  trout  caught  on  the  Pa- 
cific Coast  are  small.  If  there  were  more  sportsmen 
and  less  fishermen  on  our  streams  this  condition  would 
not  exist.  For  the  sportsman  will  throw  back  all  the 
little  babies  that  are  not  over  six  inches  in  length  and 
allow  them  another  year  to  grow.  And  in  this  connec- 
tion I  want  to  say  to  the  young  boys  and  girls:  be  true 
sportsmen  and  sportswomen  and  never  fish  for  trout 
with  anything  but  artificial  flies.  You  may  not  catch 
as  many  fish  while  you  are  learning,  but  you  will  soon 
find  that  you  are  having  ten  times  more  sport.  As  to 
the  rod  and  line,  you  will  never  get  it  too  light.  The 
longer  you  have  been  a  flycaster,  the  lighter  you  will 
want  them;  and  the  lighter  they  are  the  more  sport 
you  will  have. 


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SMALL-MOUTHED  BLACK  BASS 
(Micropterus  dolomieu) 

The  black  bass  is  not  a  native  of  the  coast,  but  both 
species  are  now  so  well  established  in  our  waters  that 
they  must  now  be  classed  as  permanent  residents,  for 
whether  it  is  the  crystal  lake,  the  flowing  stream,  the 
little  pond,  the  artesian-fed  reservoir  or  the  brackish 
slough,  they  thrive  equally  well  and  take  any  lure  from 
the  artificial  fly  to  the  plebeian  angleworm. 

Black  bass  are  prolific  breeders  and  rapid  growers. 
A  case  is  on  record  where  eight  males  and  seven  fe- 
males were  planted  in  a  pond  in  May  and  during  the 
November  following  over  37,000  young  fish  were  taken 
from  the  same  pond,  each  from  three  to  four  inches 
long. 

The  black  bass  is  a  short,  deep  fish  with  a  double 
dorsal  fin;  the  front  half  being  stiff  and  spiney  and 
the  latter  half  soft  and  rayed.  The  color  is  variable, 
but  always  dark  and  from  a  dirty  green  to  a  blackish 
brown  on  the  back,  shading  to  a  dirty  white  on  the 
belly.  The  gill  covers  are  pointed  at  the  back,  with 
a  darker  spot  on  the  point.  In  the  small-mouthed  va- 
riety the  end  of  the  upper  bone  of  the  mouth  does  not 
quite  reach  to  the  back  edge  of  the  eye,  this  with  the 
scales  on  the  cheek  numbering  from  16  to  18,  can  al- 
ways be  relied  upon  as  a  distinguishing  diagnosis  from 
the  large-mouthed  variety. 

LARGE-MOUTHED  BLACK  BASS 

(Micropterus  salmoides) 

There  is  but  little  difference  in  the  habits  of  the 
large  and  small-mouthed  black  bass,  and  but  little  dif- 
ference in  their  appearance,  but  the  distinguishing  fea- 
tures may  easily  be  known.  The  end  of  the  upper  bone 
of  the  mouth  of  the  large-mouthed  variety  extends  De- 
hind  the  eye,  and  the  rows  of  scales  on  the  cheek  num- 
ber only  10  or  12. 

While  both  species  seem  to  do  well  any  place,  the 
large-mouthed  are  better  adapted  to  muddy  bottomed 
ponds  and  sloughs  and  brackish  waters.  The  average 
weight  of  the  adults  of  either  species  is  about  three 
pounds,  though  individuals  are  often  taken  weighing 
from  six  to  seven.  It  is  reported  that  specimens  have 
been  taken  in  the  state  of  California  that  have  weighed 
eight  and  three-quarters  and  nine  pounds. 

Tackle  and  Lure — The  black  bass  will  take  any  lure 
from  the  artificial  fly  to  the  plebeian  angleworm.  In 
148 


trolling,  a  medium  sized,  Kewell  spoon  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred. I  have  always  found,  however,  that  the  best 
sport  is  to  be  had  by  casting  with  a  large  trout  fly — 
the  color  varying  with  the  season — close  to  the  edge  of 
lily  pads  or  tules.  The  tackle  for  fly-fishing  should  be 
the  same  as  for  trout.  For  trolling  the  rod  should  be 
shorter  and  stiffer. 

SACRAMENTO  PIKE 
(Ptychocheilus  oregonensis) 

The  Sacramento  pike,  known  also  by  the  names 
chappaul  and  squawfish,  and  as  lake  trout  in  the  San 
Joaquin  Valley,  while  but  little  sought  after  by  the 
angler,  can  rightfully  be  classed  as  a  game  fish,  for  it 
rises  to  the  fly  as  readily  as  a  trout  and  often  gets 
cursed  for  doing  so.  It  is  a  very  common  fish  in  many 
of  the  lakes  and  streams  from  Washington  south  to  the 
San  Joaquin  Valley.  Like  nearly  all  fish  its  size  de- 
pends very  much  upon  the  waters  in  which  it  is  found. 
In  Washington  it  has  been  known  to  reach  a  length  of 
four  feet,  but  it  is  more  commonly  met  with  from  eight 
to  twenty  inches.  In  shape  it  resembles  a  trout,  but 
with  a  slimmer  and  more  pointed  head.  The  dorsal 
fin  is  large  and  located  about  midway  between  the 
snout  and  the  end  of  the  tail;  ventral  fins,  slightly  in 
front  of  the  dorsal  and  not  as  large  as  the  anal  which 
is  set  about  its  length  from  the  ventrals;  tail,  strongly 
forked. 

STRIPED  BASS 
(Roccus  lineatus) 

The  striped  bass,  like  many  people  who  have  crossed 
the  continent  to  California,  readily  appreciated  the 
many  advantages  of  a  life  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  From 
a  couple  of  shipments  brought  from  the  East  in  1879 
and  1882  they  have  grown  to  be  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant food  fishes  of  the  state,  about  3,000,000  pounds 
being  annually  marketed.  They  were  at  first  liberated 
in  the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  but  later  some  effort  has 
been  made  to  distribute  them,  with  the  result  that  they 
are  now  found  in  small  quantities  along  the  coast  from 
Los  Angeles  to  Humboldt. 

From  their  fine  size — three  to  forty  pounds — they 
stand  well  with  the  angler  as  a  game  fish  and  furnish 
good  sport  if  the  tackle  is  light  enough.  Their  rushes 
are  not  equal  to  those  of  the  steelhead  or  the  salmon 
or  the  yellow-tail,  nor  do  they  fight  with  the  same  vigor 
or  with  the  same  persistency. 

The  striped  bass  is  unlike  any  other  coast  fish.     Its 
150 


back  is  light  olive;  sides,  nearly  white  with  seven  or 
eight  longitudinal  stripes  running  the  whole  length  of 
the  body,  the  dorsal  fin  is  double,  but  not  joined  like 
that  of  the  black  bass.  The  first  half  is  spiny  with  the 
after  division  rayed  and  soft.  It  is  a  salt  water  fish, 
making  its  habitat  in  and  near  the  mouths  of  rivers, 
and  often  running  up  them  for  100  miles  or  more.  Use 
the  same  rod  and  line  as  for  salmon. 

THE  GAME  FISH  OF  THE  SEA 

There  certainly  is  no  better  sport  to  be  had  any  place 
with  the  trout,  salmon  and  bass  than  that  furnished  by 
the  rivers,  lakes  and  bays  of  the  Pacific  Coast.  To  this 
excellent  sport  must  be  added  another  of  the  most  excit- 
ing character,  and  one  distinctly  Californian,  and  that 
is  the  capture  with  rod  and  reel  of  the  large  sea  fishes 
found  in  the  waters  of  the  Santa  Barbara  Channel,  and 
more  especially  of  Catalina  Island.  The  great  variety, 
gamy  qualities  and  massive  size  of  these  fishes  furnish 
a  sport  at  once  exciting  and  exhilarating,  and  challeng- 
ing the  keenest  exercise  of  the  ability  of  the  sports- 
man. 

The  world-wide  fame  of  these  waters,  and  the  grand 
sport  they  furnish  have  resulted  in  the  establishment 
on  Catalina  Island  of  one  of  the  finest,  if  not  the  most 
perfect  and  best  equipped  angler's  resort  in  the  world, 
from  its  launches  and  boatmen  to  its  clubhouses  and 
hotels,  arid  made  it  the  mecca  of  the  expert  anglers  of 
the  civilized  nations  of  the  earth. 

THE  TUNA 

(Thunnus  thynnus) 

The  leaping  tuna  is  the  largest  of  the  great  game 
fishes  of  the  Pacific.  It  ranges  from  Monterey  Bay, 
where  it  is  sparingly  met  with,  south  to  Mexico.  About 
Catalina  Island  they  are  found  in  great  numbers  and  of 
great  size.  The  excellent  sport  their  capture  with  rod 
and  reel  furnishes,  has  drawn  to  the  island  the  expert 
anglers  of  the  world,  and  resulted  in  the  formation  of 
the  now  famous  "Tuna  Club  of  Catalina,"  with  its  mem- 
bers residing  in  all  parts  of  the  world;  and  of  which 
no  one  can  become  a  member  until  he  has  landed  a 
tuna  of  100  pounds  or  more  with  rod  and  reel  and  with 
a  line  not  larger  than  a  24-thread  Cuttyhunk. 

Professor  Charles  F.  Holder,  an  expert  angler  with  a 
national  reputation,  and  who  has  angled  for  all  fishes 
and  in  all  waters,  says,  "The  most  sensational  fish  of 
these  waters  is  the  leaping  tuna.  It  is  the  tiger  of  the 
California  seas,  a  living  meteor,  which  strikes  like  a 
152 


whirlwind,  and  played  with  a  rod  that  is  not  a  billiard 
cue  or  a  club  in  stiffness,  will  give  the  average  man 
the  contest  of  his  life." 

The  record  for  the  largest  tuna  caught  with  a  rod 
and  reel  is  held  at  this  writing  by  Col.  C.  P.  More- 
house  of  Pasadena,  who  brought  to  gaff  a  251  pound 
tuna  after  a  six-and-a-half-hours'  fight,  during  which  it 
had  towed  his  boat  over  ten  miles.  But  even  a  greater 
fight  than  this  is  recorded,  but  the  fish  was  not  landed. 
This  fish  fought  for  seventeen  hours  and  thirty  min- 
utes before  its  wonderful  endurance  and  splendid  cour- 
age mastered  the  skill  of  the  angler.  Mr.  C.  B.  Stock- 
ton has  to  his  credit  a  fight  which  not  only  shows  the 
great  endurance  of  this  angler  but  the  remarkable  vi- 
tality of  these  fish.  This  fight  lasted  for  sixteen  hours 
and  fifty-five  minutes  before  the  fish  was  brought  to 
gaff.  It  weighed  170  pounds  and  was  taken  on  the 
regulation  tackle. 

Body,  round  and  sloping  rapidly  from  the  middle  to 
the  caudal  fin,  and  very  small  and  round  at  the  base  of 
the  tail;  tail  divided  into  two  long  forks;  two  dorsal 
fins,  the  first  beginning  just  behind  the  gill-covers  with 
the  pectoral  and  ventral  fins  a  trifle  farther  back;  sec- 
ond dorsal  fin  smaller  than  the  first  and  located  nearly 
half  way  between  it  and  the  caudal;  anal  fin  midway 
between  the  ventral  and  the  caudal;  bony,  saw-like  pro- 
jections from  the  second  dorsal  fin,  and  from  the  anal 
fin  to  the  tail;  color,  blue  on  the  back  and  silvery  white 
on  the  sides. 

Tackle  and  Lure— The  flyingfish  is  about  the  only  bait 
with  which  the  tuna  can  be  caught.  The  hook,  which 
must  be  attached  to  about  3%  or  4  inches  or  light 
chain  and  with  a  wire  snell,  is  passed  into  the  mouth 
and  down  the  belly  of  the  flyingfish,  the  barb  project- 
ing about  midway  of  the  fish.  A  small  string  is  passed 
through  the  nose  and  under  lip  and  tied  through  a  link 
of  the  chain  to  keep  the  mouth  shut.  The  speed  of  the 
boat  should  be  from  two  to  four  miles  an  hour.  In 
the  middle  of  the  day,  when  the  tunas  are  feeding  in 
schools,  the  sinker  should  be  removed,  and  the  lure 
skipped  along  the  surface  of  the  water.  This  effect  can 
be  helped  by  the  motion  of  the  rod. 

The  Catalina  Tuna  Club  has  adopted  the  following 
tackle  specifications: 

For  Tuna  and  Swordfish — Rod  to  be  of  wood,  con- 
sisting of  a  butt  and  tip,  and  to  be  not  shorter  than 
6  feet,  9  inches  over  all.  Tip  not  less  than  5  feet 
in  length,  and  to  weigh  not  more  than  16  ounces. 
Line  not  to  exceed  standard  24-thread. 
154 


THE  ALBACORE 

(Germo  alalunga) 

The  albacore  is  another  genus  of  the  same  family,  and 
reaches  a  weight  of  40  to  80  pounds;  averaging  25 
pounds.  It  is  seldom  seen  as  far  north  as  San  Fran- 
cisco, but  is  abundant  from  Santa  Barbara  south  to 
Central  America.  Like  all  of  the  family  it  is  a  gamy 
fish,  and  affords  good  sport  to  the  angler.  In  general 
shape  and  appearance  it  resembles  the  tuna,  but  will 
always  be  distinguished  by  its  long,  sword-like  pectoral 
fins  that  start  from  near  the  gills,  and  a  trifle  lower 
than  the  eye,  and  reach  beyond  the  second  dorsal  fin. 

Tackle  and  Lure — The  albacore  will  take  almost,  any 
lure  from  a  sardine  to  a  white  rag.  The  speed  of  the 
boat  can  also  be  varied  very  much.  I  have  known  them 
to  be  caught  on  a  hand  line  trolled  behind  a  coast 
steamer.  About  three  miles  an  hour,  however,  will  give 
the  best  results.  The  following  light  tackle  specifica- 
tions of  the  Tuna  Club  will  be  found  quite  satisfactory 
for  the  average  albacore: 

Rod  to  be  of  wood,  consisting  of  a  butt  and  tip, 
and  to  be  not  shorter  than  6  feet  over  all.  Butt  to 
be  not  over  14  inches  in  length.  Tip  not  less  than 
5  feet  in  length,  and  to  weigh  not  more  than  6 
ounces.  Line  not  to  exceed  standard  9-thread. 

THE  YELLOW-FIN  ALBACORE 

(Germo  microptera) 

Another  of  the  Scrombridae  family,  and  very  closely 
allied  to  the  albacore,  is  the  yellow-fin  albacore.  This 
fish  has  erroneously  been  called  "yellow-fin  tuna."  It 
does  not  belong  to  the  genus  Thunnus  any  more  than 
does  the  albacore  or  the  bonito.  It  is  only  a  visitor  to 
the  California  waters,  and  often  does  not  make  its  ap- 
pearance for  one  or  two  seasons  at  a  time.  They  are 
common  to  the  coasts  of  Japan  and  the  Hawaiian  Is- 
lands, and  are  supposed  to  migrate  with  the  Japanese 
current.  This  species  fights  altogether  on  the  surface, 
but  lacks  the  sterling  gamy  qualities  of  the  tuna. 

In  shape  it  is  built  very  much  on  the  lines  of  the 
albacore,  but  with  its  pectoral  fins  only  extending  back 
to  about  half  way  between  the  anal  and  ventral,  the 
other  fins  are  placed  the  same  as  the  albacore,  and  all 
except  the  pectoral  strongly  tinged  with  bright  lemon; 
pectoral  fin  is  more  of  a  bright  brown;  eye,  large  and 
prominent. 

A  few  have  been  taken  weighing  as  much  as  40 
156 


pounds  and  one  even  65  pounds.  The  average,  how- 
ever, is  about  30  pounds. 

THE  BONITO,  OR  SKIPJACK 

(Sarda  chilensis) 

To  the  angler  who  is  not  looking  for  the  largest  of 
game,  the  bonito — known  as  skipjack  to  the  Catalina 
anglers — is  possibly  the  most  interesting  of  the  ocean 
game  fishes.  Its  beautiful  metallic  colors,  its  rapid 
movements,  and  pleasing  habit  of  always  fighting  on 
the  surface,  and  rarely,  if  ever  sulking,  makes  it  a 
most  attractive  game  to  the  discriminating  angler. 

The  bonito  also  belongs  to  the  Scrombidae  family,  and 
ranges  from  Point  Conception  to  Mexico  and  south 
through  the  tropics. 

Body,  rounded,  tapering  rapidly  to  the  tail,  which  is 
strongly  forked,  but  not  so  much  as  the  albacore; 
pectoral  fins,  short  and  placed  opposite  the  eye;  dorsal 
fin,  double,  with  saw-like  ridges  from  the  second  dorsal 
and  the  anal  fins  to  the  tail,  the  same  as  in  all  of  this 
family.  Color,  dark  blue  on  the  back,  with  a  metallic 
luster;  sides,  silvery  white,  with  dark  longitudinal  lines. 
Weight,  from  six  to  twelve  pounds. 

Tackle  and  Lure — The  light  tackle  specifications  of 
the  Tuna  Club,  given  for  albacore  cannot  be  improved 
upon  for  these  fish. 

SPANISH  MACKEREL 
(Scomberomorus  concolor) 

This  is  another  of  the  Scrombidae  family.  It  ranges 
north  to  Monterey  Bay,  where  it  makes  its  appearance 
in  September,  remaining  until  November,  when  it  goes 
south  to  the  Santa  Barbara  channel;  remaining  in  these 
waters  and  about  Catalina  Island  during  most  of  the 
winter.  This  fish  is  called  bonito  by  many  of  the 
Catalina  anglers,  which  is  a  misnomer,  as  it  is  a  much 
slimmer  fish  than  the  bonito. 

The  pectoral  fins  are  small  and  located  a  little  above 
the  center  of  the  body  and  close  to  the  gill  covers; 
front  dorsal  starts  just  above  the  base  of  the  pectorals 
and  extend  along  the  back  for  a  distance  a  little  more 
than  the  length  of  the  head,  and  nearly  meeting  the 
second  dorsal,  which  is  about  the  same  width  as  its 
heighth;  ventral  fins,  a  little  in  front  of  the  pectorals 
and  rather  small;  front  of  the  anal  fin  under  the  back 
of  the  second  dorsal.  Back,  steel  blue;  sides,  silvery. 
Oblique  lines,  of  the  darker  color  of  the  back,  running 
158 


forward  and  downward  to  a  little  below  the  lateral  line. 

Weight,  usually  from  nine  to  twelve  pounds,  though 
they  occasionally  attain  a  weight  of  eighteen  pounds. 

Tackle  and  Lure — The  same  as  for  the  bonito. 

THE  CHUB  MACKEREL 
(Scomber  japonicus) 

The  chub  mackerel,  the  smallest  of  the  Scombridae 
family,  approaches  very  closely  the  true  mackerel  of 
the  East.  It  is  hard  to  find  a  fish  of  any  variety  more 
delicious  than  a  chub  mackerel,  caught  from  the  yacht 
and  placed  on  the  broiler  as  soon  as  it  quits  flapping. 
They  are  occasionally  found  as  far  north  as  Monterey 
bay,  but  their  real  range  is  from  the  Santa  Barbara 
channel  south.  With  reasonably  light  trout  tackle  they 
put  up  a  gamy  and  interesting  fight. 

Back,  bluish  green,  mottled  with  irregular  darker 
streaks,  some  of  which  pass  below  the  lateral  line;  first 
dorsal  fin  quite  high,  and  about  the  distance  of  its 
height  in  front  of  the  second  dorsal;  second  dorsal  and 
anal  about  the  same  size  and  nearly  opposite  each 
other;  tail  forked,  but  not  so  broadly  as  the  bonito. 
Weight,  from  one-half  to  three  pounds. 

Tackle  and  Lure — Trout  tackle  and  spoon  will  fur- 
nish interesting  sport.  But  they  will  take  any  lure. 

THE  YELLOW-TAIL 
(Seriola  dorsalis) 

The  yellow-tail  belongs  to  the  family  Carangidae,  the 
same  to  which  belong  the  pompanos,  and  is  one  of  the 
gamiest  of  sea  fishes.  In  fact,  it  is  generally  said  by 
experts  who  have  fished  for  all  varieties  and  in  all 
waters,  both  salt  and  fresh,  that  the  yellow-tail  of  Cata- 
lina  is  the  gamiest  fish,  pound  for  pound,  that  swims. 
Whether  this  be  true  or  not,  it  is  certainly  one  of  the 
hardest  and  most  persistent  fighters  found  anywhere 
and  furnishes  the  angler  with  rod  and  reel  from  an 
hour  to  two  hours  of  lively  sport  before  he  can  bring  it 
to  gaff.  One  well-known  writer  on  angling  subjects 
says:  "It  never  knows  when  it  is  dead."  While  the 
average  catch  will  run  from  ten  to  thirty  pounds,  speci- 
mens have  been  taken  weighing  sixty-five  pounds.  It  is 
occasionally  met  with  in  Monterey  bay,  but  its  range 
is  from  the  Santa  Barbara  channel  south,  where  it  is 
caught  the  larger  portion  of  the  year. 

Grayish  blue  on  the  back;  sides,  a  dull  silver,  with 
a  yellowish  buff  stripe  along  the  lateral  line;  fins,  green, 
160 


It  I 


avaiewoHos 


with  a  strong  yellowish  tinge;  tail,  yellowish  buff. 
Scales  small,  with  the  head  bare,  except  a  small  patch 
on  the  cheeks.  Pectoral  fin  on  a  level  with  the  eye  and 
small;  ventral  under  the  center  of  the  pectoral;  caudal, 
slim  and  forked.  The  dorsal  fin  is  double,  the  front 
being  very  small  with  spines  and  the  second  half  more 
than  twice  as  high;  dorsal  and  anal  fins  continue  in  a 
low  membrane  to  very  near  the  tail.  Body,  eliptical 
and  very  small  at  the  base  of  the  caudal  fin. 

Tackle  and  Lure — Same  as  for  salmon  or  albacore. 

THE  CALIFORNIA  SWORDFISH 

(Tetrapturus  mitsukuri) 

By  many  anglers  for  large  and  exciting  game,  the 
California  swordfish  is  pronounced  the  king  of  all  game 
fishes.  Certainly  they  put  up  a  very  determined  and 
exciting  fight.  In  size  they  average  about  180  pounds, 
though  one  has  been  taken  at  Catalina  by  W.  C. 
Boschen  that  weighed  355  pounds.  When  a  swordfish 
is  hooked  its  rushes  are  desperate,  even  reckless,  and 
at  times  dangerous  to  the  angler.  In  its  determined 
efforts  to  free  itself  from  the  impaling  hook,  it  threshes 
the  waters  into  foam,  repeatedly  leaping  into  the  air, 
where  the  sunlight  scintillating  upon  the  purple  of  its 
back  and  silvery  sides  adds  the  charm  of  color  to  the 
excitement  of  the  contest.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  there 
is  no  fish,  either  in  the  salt  or  fresh  waters,  that  is  so 
constantly  on  the  surface  and  in  the  air  during  its 
struggles  for  freedom  as  is  the  California  swordfish. 
Thirty,  forty  and  even  fifty  clean  leaps  into  the  sunlight 
by  the  one  fish  have  been  recorded  in  its  desperate 
struggle  to  baffle  the  skill  of  the  angler. 

The  snout  of  the  swordfish  is  continued  into  a  long, 
sharp  bone,  which  measured  from  the  back  of  the 
mouth  is  about  one-fourth  of  the  length  of  the  fish  from 
the  mouth  to  the  base  of  the  tail.  The  under  jaw  is 
also  a  sharp  projecting  bone  about  half  the  length  of 
the  sword.  The  dorsal  fin  rises  sharply  from  the  top  of 
the  head  to  a  height  nearly  equaling  the  depth  of  the 
body,  the  latter  part  curving  downward  and  continuing 
along  the  back  to  nearly  the  center  of  the  body;  tail 
divided  into  two  long,  slim  forks;  second  dorsal  and 
anal  near  the  tail  and  nearly  opposite  each  other;  ven- 
tral fin  below  the  terminal  of  the  first  dorsal;  pectoral 
fins  rather  long  and  located  close  to  the  gill-covers; 
two  long,  slender  feelers  projecting  from  the  center  of 
the  throat  just  below  the  base  of  the  pectorals;  eye 
very  large  and  bright  dark  blue. 
164 


Purplish  green  on  the  back,  with  blue  perpendicular 
stripes  fading  into  the  silvery  sides;  fins,  dark  purple. 
Tackle  and  Lure — Same  as  for  tuna. 

THE  BLACK  SEA  BASS,  OR  JEW-FISH 
(Stereolepis  gigas) 

This  monster  of  the  ocean,  commonly  called  jew-fish, 
seems  to  be  in  all  respects  a  gigantic  black  bass,  closely 
resembling  the  small-mouthed  of  the  fresh  waters,  and 
no  further  description  will  be  necessary  for  anyone 
who  may  be  fortunate  enough  to  land  one  to  know  to 
what  species  it  belongs.  In  fact,  he  will  know  just  what 
he  has  hooked  long  before  the  monster  shows  himself  on 
has  hooked  long  before  the  monster  shows  himself  on 
the  top  of  the  water.  This  huge  black  sea  bass  seems 
to  have  a  very  restricted  range,  for  it  is  only  known 
from  the  Coronado  Islands  to  the  Farallones.  They 
are  very  plentiful  around  Catalina  Island,  where  they 
are  usually  taken  with  hand  lines.  They  can  not  be 
called  a  game  fish,  though  they  are  now  being  taken 
with  rod  and  reel  at  Catalina  and  furnish  a  kind  of 
"heavy-weight"  sport  for  those  who  like  it.  One  weigh- 
ing over  436  pounds  has  been  taken  on  a  tuna  rod  and 
twenty-one  thread  line.  The  writer  saw  one  several 
years  ago  that  was  taken  on  a  hand  line  that  weighed 
720  pounds  and  was  over  seven  feet  in  length.  They  are 
fish  of  great  strength  and  will  tow  a  boat  with  ease  at  a 
considerable  speed. 

Tackle — The  same  as  for  tuna,  with  fish  bait. 

THE  BARACUDA 
(Sphyraena  argentea) 

The  baracuda  is  a  common  fish  from  San  Francisco 
south  to  Mexico.  In  the  Santa  Barbara  channel  and 
about  Catalina  and  San  Diego  it  is  largely  taken  by 
trolling  with  light  tackle,  when  it  affords  really  good 
sport.  It  is  a  long,  slim  fish,  reaching  three  and  even 
three  and  a  half  feet  in  length,  the  usual  catch  being 
from  two  to  two  and  a  half  feet  in  length. 

Head  long  and  slender;  eye  high  up  on  the  head  and 
nearly  half  way  between  the  snout  and  the  back  of  the 
gill  covers.  Pectoral  fin  just  below  the  lateral  line; 
first  dorsal  spinous  and  nearly  opposite  the  ventral; 
second  dorsal  about  midway  between  the  first  and  the 
tail;  anal  almost  directly  under  the  second  dorsal. 

Bluish  brown  on  the  back,  grading  into  white  on  the 
belly. 

Tackle  and  Lure — Same  as  for  bonito. 
166 


WHITING  AND  CROAKERS 

There  are  three  other  species  of  fish  which  inhabit 
the  surf  of  the  Pacific  from  Point  Conception,  south  to 
Mexico,  that,  while  they  can  not  be  properly  termed 
game  fishes,  furnish  the  angler  fine  sport  because  of 
the  gamy  fight  they  make  on  light  tackle.  These  are 
the  whiting  (Menticirrhus  undulatus),  the  spot-fin  croak- 
er (Roncador  stearnsi)  and  the  yellow-fin  croaker  (Um- 
brina  roncador).  The  first  of  these  is  known  locally  by 
the  names  of  courbina  and  surf-fish,  which  are  bad 
misnomers.  The  name,  surf-fish,  is  given  by  the  ichthy- 
ologist to  a  species  of  perch,  and  the  courbina  belongs 
to  the  genus  Pogonias  and  is  not  found  as  far  north  as 
the  California  coast.  These  names  should  be  abandoned 
by  the  anglers  and  the  proper  English  name  of  whiting 
used.  The  word  courbina  is  Italian  and  means  croaker, 
from  the  Latin,  corvus,  crow. 

THE  WHITE  SEA  BASS 

(Cygonoscion  nobilis) 

The  white  sea  bass  is  purely  a  California  species, 
ranging  from  the  Coronado  Islands  to  about  the  latitude 
of  San  Francisco.  They  are  caught  trolling  and  make  a 
gamy  fight  on  rod  and  reel.  Twenty  to  forty  pound 
fish  are  common  and  they  have  been  caught  weighing 
seventy-five  pounds. 

Light  bluish   on   the   back   and   white   on  the  sides, 
with  many  small  specks;  dark  spot  at  the  base  of  the 
pectoral  fins.     Head,  long,  with  pointed  snout,  and  with 
the  scales  of  the  head  running  nearly  to  its  end.    Dorsal 
fin  double,  the  first  half  having  ten  spines  and  the  lat- 
ter twenty-one  or  twenty-two  soft  rays.    Anal  with  two 
spines  and  nine  rays.     Tail  but  little  forked. 
Tackle — The  same  as  for  salmon  or  yellow-tail. 
CALIFORNIA  WHITING  OR 

SAND-SUCKER 
(Menticirrhus  undulatus) 

This  species  is  common  to  the  sand  beaches  of  the 
Pacific,  from  Point  Conception  south  to  Guaymas,  Mex- 
ico. It  feeds  during  the  larger  part  of  the  year  in  the 
surf,  and  is  caught  from  the  wharfs  or  by  long  casts 
with  heavy  sinkers  from  the  beach.  The  whiting  ap- 
pears on  the  California  coast  in  two  varieties,  the  un- 
dulatus proper  and  a  subspecies  which  I  think  has  never 
been  classified.  At  any  rate,  the  difference  seems  suffi- 
cient to  entitle  it  to  a  subspecie  classification,  for  the 
168 


V 


mouth  curves  strongly  downward,  and,  therefore,  does  not 
extend  so  far  back  as  the  undulatus  proper.  The  tail  also 
differs,  in  having  both  upper  and  lower  lobes  rounded, 
instead  of  the  upper  being  square  as  in  the  undulatus. 

Head,  about  one-fifth  of  the  entire  length;  snout, 
rather  pointed,  and  projecting  beyond  the  mouth;  mouth 
reaching  to  the  center  of  the  eye;  small  barbel  on  the 
lower  lip.  Dorsal  fin,  double,  the  first  with  from  seven 
to  nine  spines,  the  second  soft  and  reaching  from  the 
first  to  within  about  the  length  of  the  head  from  the 
tail;  pectoral  fins  near  the  gills  and  about  the  width 
of  the  eye  below  the  center  of  the  body;  ventral  fins, 
a  little  behind  the  pectoral;  anal  fin  under  the  center 
of  the  second  dorsal;  dorsal  fins  dark;  pectoral,  ven- 
tral and  anal  fins,  light  with  darker  tips;  tail  of  the 
undulatus  proper,  upper  lobe  square  and  lower  lobe 
rounded.  Back,  bluish  brown,  shading  to  white  on  the 
belly;  scales,  small.  Below  the  lateral  line  are  a  num- 
ber of  small  spots  forming  irregular  lines  running  back- 
ward and  upward.  Size,  rarely  exceeding  eight  pounds. 

The  illustration  is  of  the  variety  that  I  have  referred 
to  as  a  subspecies. 

Tackle  and  Lure — The  three-six  tackle.  Rod  to  be  of 
wood,  consisting  of  a  butt  and  tip,  and  to  be  not  shorter 
than  six  feet  over  all;  weight  of  entire  rod  not  to  ex- 
ceed six  ounces;  butt  not  to  be  over  twelve  inches  in 
length.  Line  not  to  exceed  standard  6-thread.  Lure, 
sandflies,  mussels  or  clams. 

YELLOW-FIN  CROKER 

(Umbrina  roncador) 

The  yellow-fin  croaker  is  found  in  the  surf  or  near 
it  along  the  sandy  beaches  from  some  distance  north  of 
Point  Conception  south  to  Manzanillo,  Mexico,  where  it 
is  known  by  the  name  "corvina  con  aletas  amerillas," 
or  "croaker  with  yellow  fins." 

Head,  about  one-fifth  the  whole  length;  snout,  very 
blunt,  with  a  small  barbel  on  the  lower  lip.  Dorsal 
fin  double,  the  first  half  with  seven  or  eight  spines,  tne 
longest  about  two-thirds  the  length  of  the  head;  second 
half  rayed  and  about  two-thirds  the  height  of  the  first, 
and  reaching  to  about  half  the  length  of  the  head  from 
the  tail;  pectoral  fins  short,  and  placed  close  to  the  gills 
and  a  little  below  the  center  of  the  body;  ventral  fins 
just  below  the  pectoral  and  a  trifle  longer;  anal  fin, 
below  the  center  of  the  second  dorsal;  tail,  nearly 
square.  Back,  greenish  brown,  with  a  metallic  luster 
and  giving  a  pinkish  tinge  in  some  lights;  sides,  shad- 
170 


ing  to  white  on  the  belly.     A  few  irregular  spots  on 
the  sides  forming  faint  lines. 

SPOT-FIN  CRAOKER 
(Roncador  stearnsi) 

The  spot-fin  croaker  appears  in  and  near  the  surf  of 
the  Pacific  Coast  from  Point  Conception  south  to  Mex- 
ico. Roncador  is  Spanish  and  signifies  snorer.  This 
species  resembles  the  yellow-fin  very  closely,  but  is 
usually  lighter  in  color  and  more  metallic  in  appear- 
ance. It  can  always  be  distinguished  from  the  yellow- 
fin  by  the  distinct  black  spots  at  the  base  of  the  pec- 
toral fins. 

Tackle  and  Lure — Same  as  for  whiting. 

THE  TUNA  CLUB  OF  CATALINA  ISLAND 

I  cannot  close  these  articles  on  fish  and  fishing  with- 
out a  few  words  of  commendation  of  the  Tuna  Club  of 
Catalina  Island.  From  the  very  inception  of  this  or- 
ganization it  has  striven  to  encourage  the  use  of  light 
tackle  by  all  anglers.  To  this  end,  it  has  adopted  three 
classes  of  tackle  specifications  for  the  taking  of  the 
several  kinds  of  fish  found  in  the  waters  surrounding 
its  island  home,  and  provided  a  number  of  cups  and  but- 
tons to  be  awarded  each  year  to  anglers  who  land  fishes 
of  certain  weights,  with  such  tackle  as  is  prescribed 
therefor  by  its  rules.  This  campaign,  which  it  has  so 
energetically  urged  in  behalf  of  scientific  angling,  has 
worked  wonders  in  its  section  of  the  Coast.  The  old 
methods  of  landing  fish,  even  of  the  gamiest  quality, 
by  the  employment  of  nothing  more  than  brute  force 
at  the  end  of  an  unbreakable  cable,  has  almost  disap- 
peared in  its  section,  and  scientific  angling  with  the 
lightest  possible  tackle  has  taken  its  place.  But  the 
good  work  of  the  Tuna  Club  has  not  been  confined  to 
the  boundaries  of  its  own  section.  Anglers  from  other 
sections  of  the  country  visiting  Catalina,  and  seeing  the 
additional  pleasure  derived  from  the  use  of  light  tackle, 
have  become  enthusiastic  advocates  of  this  more  scien- 
tific means,  and  returning  to  their  homes  have  spread 
the  propaganda  there. 

To  the  stiff  pole  and  chalk-line  fishermen  of  con- 
firmed habits  I  have  nothing  to  say.  But  to  the  younger 
generation  who  have  not  yet  grown  grey  in  the  prac- 
tice of  bad  habits,  I  wish  to  urge  upon  them  the  use 
of  the  lightest  tackle  possible,  as  a  means  of  develop- 
ing greater  skill  and  deriving  greater  pleasure  from 
their  favorite  sport.  And  this  is  equally  true  whether 
it  be  a  tuna  or  a  trout. 

172 


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avaixavios 


ATTRACTIVE  FISHING  RESORTS 

It  is  possible  that  the  day  may  come  when  man  will 
be  so  engrossed  with  the  pursuit  of  the  dollar  that  the 
call  of  the  wild  will  no  longer  quicken  the  pulsations 
of  his  heart.  But  until  that  time  does  come,  the  wild 
creatures  of  nature,  whose  pursuit  affords  the  most 
healthful  and  exhilarating  pastime,  will  continue  to  lure 
him  to  their  haunts. 

"To  sit  on  rocks  and  gaze  o'er  flood  and  fell; 

To  slowly  trace  the  forest's  shady  scene, 
Where  things  that  own  not  man's  dominion  dwell, 

And  mortal  feet  hath  ne'er,  or  rarely,  been," 

will  long  continue  to  present  a  charm  to  all  who  love 
the  sublimity  of  the  mountains,  the  beauty  of  the  flower- 
decked  fields,  or  the  awe-inspiring  grandeur  of  the 
ocean. 

To  draw  a  bead  on  the  antlered  buck;  to  stop  the 
flight  of  the  gamy  quail;  to  land  the  denizen  of  the 
mountain  stream,  or  troll  the  ocean's  depth  for  the 
tuna,  the  salmon  or  the  yellow-tail,  furnishes  a  pastime 
whose  recollection  draws  one  back  again  and  again  to 
sit  on  nature's  lap  and  listen  to  her  teachings.  The 
recollection  of  these  pleasures  are  locked  in  the  treas- 
ure vaults  of  the  memory,  where  the  wearings  of  time 
can  never  erase  them;  for  when  the  once  firm  step  that 
carried  him  proudly  up  the  mountain's  side  shall  falter 
and  become  a  palsied  wreck  of  time,  and  the  eye, 
dimmed  by  the  accumulated  mists  of  years,  shall  see 
clearly,  only  in  retrospect,  he  will  sit  by  his  fire-side 
in  slippered  feet,  and,  gazing  down  the  long  vistas  of 
the  past,  live  over  and  over  again  in  his  reveries  the 
pleasures  furnished  by  the  forest,  the  field,  the  stream 
and  the  ocean. 

Nothing  would  please  me  better  than  to  describe  here- 
in the  many  places  where,  during  a  residence  on  the 
Pacific  Coast  of  more  than  half  a  century,  I  have  en- 
joyed these  sports  in  the  fullest  .degree.  But  even  the 
merest  mention  of  the  almost  innumerable  hunting 
grounds  and  trout  streams,  and  the  hundreds  of  moun- 
tain and  sea-side  resorts,  from  Washington  to  Mexico, 
would,  of  itself,  make  a  volume  of  no  mean  size.  I  am, 
therefore,  restricted  to  the  mention  of  only  a  few  or 
the  more  attractive  places  where  good  sea  fishing  can 
be  found,  coupled  with  such  accommodations  and  sur- 
roundings as  appeal  to  the  discriminating  pleasure 
seeker. 

174 


CATALINA  ISLAND. 

Almost  due  south  of  Los  Angeles,  and  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  mainland,  is  the  far-famed  island  of 
Catalina. 

It  is  still  a  debatable  question  whether  it  was  the 
leaping  tuna  that  made  Catalina  famous,  or  whether  it 
was  its  many  attractions,  its  facilities  for  sea  fishing  and 
its  splendid  accommodations,  that  gave  the  sport  of  tuna 
fishing  a  world-wide  reputation. 

This  beautiful  island,  with  its  diversified  amuse- 
ments; its  grand  scenery;  its  wonderful  drives;  its 
surf  less  sea  bathing;  its  marine  views;  its  perfect 
equipment  for  sea  fighting,  and  its  splendidly  appointed 
hotel,  has  made  it  the  Mecca  to  which  the  enthusiastic 
anglers  of  the  world  make  their  regular  pilgrimages, 
for  it  seems  to  be  the  favored  habitat  of  all  the  game 
fishes  of  the  ocean,  except  the  salmon  and  the  striped 
bass. 

Catalina  is  the  home  of  the  Tuna  Club,  the  greatest 
fishing  organization  of  the  world,  with  its  international 
membership  pledged  to  the  promotion  of  scientific 
angling.  It  is  here  where  the  world's  records  are  made, 
and  the  greatest  feats  in  landing  the  fighting  monsters 
of  the  sea  have  been  achieved. 

In  its  variety  of  game  fishes  I  know  of  no  place  to 
equal  it.  The  leaping  tuna,  the  albacore,  the  Spanish 
mackerel,  the  bonito,  the  chub  mackerel,  the  white  sea 
bass,  the  yellowtail,  and  the  California  swordfish,  the 
sensational  fighter  of  the  ocean,  are  all  here  and  ready 
to  give  the  light  tackle  angler  the  most  exciting  con- 
test of  his  life. 

When  the  angler  waits  for  the  tides,  he  wants  some 
other  divertisement  to  occupy  his  mind.  At  Catalina  he 
finds  a  pastime  suitable  to  every  hour,  to  every  fancy, 
to  every  mood.  He  can  bathe  in  its  crystal  waters;  he 
can  stroll  along  its  pebbly  beaches  or  climb  its  hills 
in  search  of  wild  goats;  he  can  ride  through  its  charm- 
ing valleys,  over  its  lofty  peaks  and  around  the  dizzy 
heights  that  overlook  the  ocean;  he  can  increase  the 
elasticity  of  his  step  on  its  tennis  courts,  or  exercise 
his  muscle  on  its  golf  links.  He  can  view  the  ancient 
relics  of  a  departed  people,  study  the  strange  and  curi- 
ous forms  of  ocean  life  in  the  extensive  aquariums,  or 
comfortably  seated  in  a  glass-bottomed  boat,  marvel  at 
the  extravagant  splendor  of  the  marine  gardens,  hun- 
dreds of  feet  below  the  surface,  where  sirens  sing  and 
mermaids  are  said  to  dwell.  And,  when  he  has  gone 
the  rounds,  and  longs  again  for  more  exciting  sport, 
well — then  he  can  go  fishing. 
175 


HOTEL  DEL  MOXTE 


DEL  MONTE 

Monterey  Bay  is  pre-eminently  the  fishing  ground 
for  the  Pacific  salmon.  As  these  gamy  fish  seek  their 
spawning  grounds,  after  their  four-years'  sojourn  in 
unknown  waters,  they  enter  Monterey  Bay  at  its  south- 
ern headland  and  follow  around  it  at  varying  distances 
from  the  shore.  During  this  season  the  Hotel  Del 
Monte,  with  its  splendid  appointments  and  scenic  beau- 
ty, is  the  favored  Mecca  of  the  salmon  anglers.  Here 
boats  with  experienced  boatmen,  and  a  good  supply  of 
tackle  and  bait  are  always  to  be  had.  The  contour  of 
the  peninsula,  with  its  high  mountain  crest,  forming 
the  southern  shore  of  the  bay,  is  such  that  the  strong 
winds  of  the  open  ocean  is  cut  off  from  the  Del  Monte 
side,  allowing  the  waters  of  this  side  of  the  bay  to  re- 
tain that  smoothness  that  makes  either  boating  or  fish- 
ing a  delight.  This,  too,  may  have  something  to  do 
with  the  feeding  habits  of  the  salmon,  thereby  account- 
ing for  the  usually  large  catches  made  by  the  guests 
of  the  hotel. 

While  the  Pacific  Coast  furnishes  fine  sport  for  the 
angler,  both  in  its  fresh  and  salt  waters,  with  an  infin- 
ite variety  of  gamy  fishes,  salmon  fishing  must  be 
classed  as  one  of  the  most  satisfying.  An  angler  likes 
to  see  his  adversary  and  know  with  what  he  is  con- 
tending. The  salmon  is  a  surface  fighter,  leaping  high 
into  the  air  when  he  finds  himself  impaled;  and  this 
sight  of  his  beautiful  sides,  scintillating  in  the  sunlight, 
quickens  the  pulsations  of  the  heart  of  the  angler  and 
gives  zest  to  the  sport. 

Each  section  of  the  coast  has  its  fish  and  fishing 
peculiar  to  itself;  but  I  care  not  from  what  section  the 
expert  angler  may  come,  he  will  enjoy  the  salmon 
fishing  of  Monterey  Bay.  He  will  do  more;  for  the 
Hotel  Del  Monte  is  one  of  the  delightful  show  places 
of  the  Pacific  Coast.  Space  will  not  admit  of  an  enum- 
eration of  the  many  interesting  sights  here  to  be  seen. 
There  are  glimpses  of  California  life  a  hundred  years 
ago  by  the  side  of  picturesque  golf  links  and  tennis 
courts.  A  modern  hostelry  hid  away  in  the  center  of 
a  primeval  park.  A  seventeen-mile  drive  through  shady 
mountain  dells  and  along  weirdly  beautiful  ocean  coves 
and  rocky  crags.  The  marine  gardens  as  seen  at  the 
bottom  of  the  ocean  through  glass-bottomed  boats. 
These,  and  many  other  interesting  relics  and  inspiring 
scenes  are  the  side  attractions  for  the  salmon  angler 
who  visits  Del  Monte. 

177 


DEL  MAR. 

Del  Mar  is  one  of  the  few  beach  resorts  where  the 
pleasure-seeker  can  divide  his  time  among  the  whole 
range  of  outdoor  amusements.  The  long  pleasure  wharf 
and  the  miles  of  just  that  character  of  beach  where 
the  whiting,  the  croaker,  the  chub  mackerel  and  the 
young  sea  bass  love  to  feed,  offer  the  finest  of  still  fish- 
ing. If  he  is  ambitious  for  a  contest  with  the  big 
fighting  fishes  of  the  deeper  waters,  he  can  take  a 
boat  and  soon  be  floating  over  the  haunts  of  the  yel- 
lowtail,  the  albacore  and  the  bonito.  If  he  prefers  the 
report  of  the  gun  to  the  music  of  the  reel,  a  short  walk 
back  from  the  hotel  brings  him  into  the  country  of  the 
game  little  quail. 

Again,  he  can,  by  a  short  ride  to  the  ponds  and  la- 
goons, change  from  upland  to  waterfowl  shooting. 

But  the  gamut  is  not  yet  run;  for  within  easy  reach 
are  several  mountain  streams  where  he  can  cast  his 
flies  on  their  waters  with  good  returns.  And,  if  he 
seeks  to  pit  his  cunning  and  his  skill  against  the  watch- 
ful deer,  a  pleasant  and  interesting  ride  over  a  good 
motor  road,  takes  him  into  the  wilds  of  the  Cuyamaca 
mountains. 

But  the  sportsman  in  his  outings  will  always  think 
of  his  comforts  as  well  as  his  sports,  and  for  those  Del 
Mar  has  planned  with  a  lavish  hand. 

It  is  not  all  of  the  enjoyment  of  a  good  meal  to  have 
a  choice  selection  of  viands,  admirably  cooked  by  an 
experienced  chef,  and  served  in  the  most  approved  man- 
ner. It  is  not  all  of  a  good  night's  rest,  after  the  fa- 
tigue of  a  day's  sport,  to  have  lain  on  a  downy  bed  in 
a  richly  appointed  room.  Agreeable  service;  the  affa- 
bility of  the  management;  the  pervading  air  of  wel- 
come; the  society  of  congenial  companions;  the  beau- 
ty of  the  situation;  the  inspiring  views;  the  charm  of 
the  many  scenes  that  each  day  photographs  upon  the 
memory,  adds  a  relish  to  the  menu  which  no  chef  can 
compound,  and  a  restfulness  to  one's  slumber  that  the 
ingenuity  of  no  upholsterer  can  supply.  For  a  part  of 
these  delightful  adjuncts  to  one's  enjoyment,  I  am  will- 
ing to  give  credit  to  the  excellent  taste  of  the  found- 
ers of  Del  Mar.  But  the  beauty  of  its  surroundings, 
the  possibility  of  its  charming  individuality,  must  be 
credited  to  those  exclusive  gifts  which  nature  first  be- 
stowed upon  it. 

Del  Mar  is  twenty-two  miles  from  San  Diego  and  111 

from  Los  Angeles,  and   can  be  reached  from  either  of 

these   cities   by   the    Santa    Fe   railroad,    or  by   a   good 

motor  road,  distinguished  for  its  many  interesting  views. 

179 


VENICE 

That  there  is  but  one  Venice  in  America  is  the  ver- 
dict of  all  who  have  visited  this  charming  seaside  re- 
sort. Its  oriental  architecture,  and  its  numerous  canals, 
on  whose  surface  floats  in  Italian  ease,  real  Venetian 
gondolas,  give  it  an  atmosphere  suggestive  of  the  Medi- 
terranean. But  it  is  not  of  its  Venetian  aspect,  nor  its 
endless  chain  of  amusements,  from  its  surf  and  plunge 
bathing  to  its  rollicking  scenic  railroad  and  hair-raising 
dash  through  its  cavernous  rapids,  or  its  hundred  or 
more  interesting  pastimes  for  the  pleasure  seeker,  that 
the  attention  of  the  reader  is  herein  directed. 

It  is  to  those  forms  of  sea  life  that  contribute  to  his 
pleasure  that  his  attention  is  called,  for  the  waters  of 
Venice  furnish  a  wonderful  variety  of  these,  as  will  be 
seen  by  a  visit  to  the  large  aquarium  maintained  on 
the  pier  by  the  University  of  Southern  California.  From 
the  wharfs  he  can  angle  for  smelt,  mackerel  and  perch, 
as  well  as  for  halibut  and  other  bottom  fishes.  From 
the  beach,  by  bait-casting  into  the  surf,  he  is  rewarded 
with  croaker,  whiting  (erroneously  called  corbina),  and 
young  sea  bass,  locally  known  as  sea  trout. 

By  taking  a  launch  and  going  out  into  the  open  water, 
his  ambition  to  bring  to  gaff  the  larger  species  of  the 
deeper  sea  can  be  gratified  with  strikes  from  the  tuna, 
the  albacore,  the  bonito,  the  mackerel  and  the  yellow- 
tail  that  will  give  him  a  contest  worthy  of  his  metal. 

These  launch  trips  upon  the  bosom  of  the  open  ocean, 
are  among  the  chiefest  pleasures  of  our  beach  resorts, 
for  the  angler  not  only  finds  keen  sport  in  the  landing 
of  these  larger  fishes,  but  an  exhilarating  recreation, 
restful  to  the  mind  and  healthful  to  the  body. 

Then,  when  his  day's  sport  is  over,  whether  his  outing 
is  only  for  a  day,  or  for  the  several  weeks  of  his  vaca- 
tion, his  comforts  are  to  be  considered.  In  these  Venice 
offers  as  wide  a  range  as  it  does  in  its  amusements. 
At  the  splendidly  appointed  Hotel  St.  Marks  he  can  find 
the  most  luxurious  accommodations;  he  can  dine  at  one 
of  its  deservedly  popular  cafes;  or,  if  he  wants  to  spend 
his  vacation  in  restful  quietude  with  his  family,  he  can 
take  a  furnished  villa  on  the  bank  of  one  of  the  canals, 
hidden  away  in  a  wealth  of  flowers  and  forest  trees, 
with  the  sea  breeze  tempered  to  a  balmy  zephyr.  To 
this  sequestered  home  he  can  bring  his  fish,  fresh  from 
the  sea,  and  broiling  them  to  his  particular  taste,  enjoy 
the  last  delight  of  the  angler's  day  of  sport. 
181 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


DOVES— 
Mourning    Dove    
White-winged    Dove    
DUCKS  — 
American    Golden-eye    
American    Scaup    
Barrow's    Golden-eye    
Blue-bill     
Butter-ball     
Canvasback     
Gadwall     
Harlequin     
Mallard     
Pin-tail     
Red-head     
Ring-neck     
Ruddy 

4  U 
40 

84 
78 
9U 
78 
86 

56 
86 
54 
66 
76 
80 

Scoter,    White-winged     
Shoveler     
Spoon  -till     
Sprig     
Teal,    Blue-winged     

91 
68 
6S 
66 
64 
6'' 

Teal,    Green-winged    
Widgeon     
Wire-tail    
Wood    Duck    
FISHES  — 
Albacore     
Bass,    Small-mouthed,    Black  
Bass,    Striped     
Bass    White  Sea 

60 
58 
82 
70 

155 
149 
151 

167 

Bonito     
Croaker,    Yellow-fin    
Mackerel,    Chub    
Mackerel,   Spanish    
Salmon,    Chinook    
Sand-sucker    
Skip-jack     
Swordflsh      
Trout,   Eastern  Brook    

157 
171 
161 
15!) 
130 
169 
157 
165 

135 

Tuna,  Leaping   
Whiting,    California     
Yellow-tail    

GEESE— 

Black    Brant     
Brown   Brant    
Cackling  Goose    
Canada   Goose    
Emperor  Goose    
Honker     
Little  White   Goose    
Ross    Goiose    

153 
169 
163 

104 
94 
94 
94 
102 
94 
98 
98 
100 

Snow   Goose    
White-cheeked  Goose    
White-fronted    Goose     

98 
96 
100 

GROUSE— 

Oregon    Ruffed     46 

Sage    Hen    48 

Sharp-tail     50 

Sooty     42 

PHEASANT,  Mongolian    36 

PIGEON,   Band-tailed    40 

QUAIL — 

Arizona     18 

Bobwhite,    Virginia 28 

California  Valley    14 

Elegant     22 

Gambel      18 

Massena    26 

Montezuma    26 

Mountain     10 

Plumed     10 

Scaled     20 

SHORE   BIRDS— 

Avocet     1  •>  i 

Curlew,   Sickle-bill    117 

Curlew,    Hudsonian    117 

I>owitcher    Ill 

Godwit     115 

Ibis,   White-fronted,   Glossy    107 

Marlin     115 

Plover,    Black-bellied    120 

Plover,   Mountain    122 

Plover,   Ring-neck    i2i 

Plover,    Snowy    122 

Snipe,   Jack  or  Wilson    Ill 

Snipe,   Red-Breasted    Ill 

Yellow-legs     113 

TURKEY,  Mexican   Wild    32 


INDEX 


ANATIDAE,    family     9 

ANATINAE,    subfamily     ." .  .  .  73 

ANSERENAE,    subfamily    53 

ANSERES,    order    9 

BAY    AND    SEA    DUCKS 75 

CHARADRIDAE,     family     II 

COLUMBIDAE,   family    11 

•CYGNINAE,    subfamily     11 

DOVES — 

Mourning1    Dove     41 

White-winged    Dove    41 

DUCKS— 

American   Golden-eye    85 

American   Scaup    TH 

Barrow's    Golden-eye    87 

Blue-bill     79 

Butter-ball     87 

Canvasback     75 

Fulvus    Tree    Duck    72 

Gadwall     61 

Harlequin    Duck    89 

Lesser  Scaup  Duck    81 

Little   Blue-bill    81 

Long-tailed    Duck     89 

Mallard     59 

Old    Squaw    89 

Pin-tail     69 

Red-head      7 1 

Ring-neck     81 

Ruddy    Duck     83 

Scoters     SO 

Shoveler     69 

Sp'Oion-bill    69 

Sprig     69 

Subfamily,   genus   &   species,   fresh-water  ducks  73 

Subfamily,   genus  &   species,   salt-water   ducks..  92 
Teal— 

Blue-wing     67 

Cinnamon     65 

Green-wing     63 

Widgeon     61 

Wire-tail     83 

Wood    Duck    71 

FISHES— 

Albacore     156 

Yellow-fin     156 

Bass — 

Black,   Large-mouth    14s 

Black,    Small-mouth    14s 

Striped     150 

White    Sea    168 

Baracuda    166 

Bonito     158 

Croaker — family,    genus    and    species 1  <3 

Spot-fin 172 

Yellow-fin     170 

Jewflsh    166 


Mackerel — family,  genus  and  species    162 

Chub     160 

Green-back    160 

Spanish     158 

Sacramento    Pike    150 

Salmon     131 

Salmon — family,  genus  and  species    162 

Blue-back     133 

Chinook     132 

Dog    134 

Hump-back    134 

King     132 

Redflsh     133 

Silver    134 

Sock-eye     133 

Sand-sucker     168 

Skip-jack     158 

(Swordflsh      164 

Trout — family,   genus  and  species    147 

Colorado   River    144 

Cutthroat     142 

Dolly   Varden    144 

Eastern    Brook    144 

Golden     138 

Lake    Tahoe    143 

Lake    Soutlierland    143 

Rainbow     136 

Rio  Grande    143 

Silver     142 

Steel-head     140 

Tuna     152 

Whiting,  California   168 

Yellow-tail    160 

FISHING    RESORTS    174 

Catalina  Island   175 

Del  Mar    179 

Del  Monte   177 

Venice    181 

GAME  BIRDS  OF  THE  PACIFIC  COAST 9 

GAME   FISHES  OF   THE   PACIFIC   COAST 129 

GAME   FISHES  OF  THE  SEA 152 

GEESE   OF  THE  PACIFIC   COAST    93 

GEESE,    FAMILY,   GENUS   AND   SPECIES 53 

Black  Sea  Brant 103 

Brown   Brant    97 

Cackling  Goose   97 

Canada    Goose    93 

Emperor  Goose    101 

Honker    93 

Hutchins  Goose   97 

Little  White   Goose 99 

Ross  Goose    99 

Speckle-breast    101 

Snow  Goose    99 

White  Goose    99 

White-cheeked  Goose    95 

White-fronted  Goose    101 

GROUSE — Family,   genus  and  species    43 

Canadian  Ruffed   47 

Oregon  Ruffed   45 

Sage  Hen 51 

Sharp-tail    52 

Sooty    44 

Spruce    49 


PHEASANT.    .Mongolian    35 

PIGEON.    Wild     39 

PIGEONS  AND    DOVES    39 

QUAIL — Family,  genus  and  species 11,  30 

Arizona  ' 19 

Bobwhite    27 

Bobwhite,   Masked    29 

California   Valley    15 

Elegant     24 

Gambel   19 

Massena    25 

Montezuma    25 

Mountain    12 

Lower   California    13 

Plumed    12 

San  Pedro  Mountain    13 

Scaled    21 

Chestnut-bellied    23 

SHORE  BIRDS — Family,  genus  and  species 110,  118 

Avocet    125 

Cranes,  Rails  and  Gallinules    109 

Curlew,  Sickle-bill    119 

Hudsonian 119 

Dowitcher    112 

Godwit    114 

Herons  and  Ibises 108 

Marlin    114 

Plover,  family,   genus  and  species 126 

Black-bellied    121 

Mountain    121 

Ring-neck    123 

Snowy   123 

Wilson   125 

Rails    109 

Sandpiper,  Red-backed   116 

Snipe,  family,  genus  and  species '  118 

Jacksnipe    110 

Red-breasted    112 

Wilson    110 

Stilt,   Black-necked    127 

Willet    116 

Yellow-legs     114 

SW1ANS    105 

TUNA    CLUB 172 

TURKEYS,    Wild    31 

Mexican,  Wild    31 

WATERFOWL    55 

WADERS   AND   SHORE    BIRDS 106 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


DEC  2 1  W 

APR  7     1951 , 
MAY  1  3  1960 


_. 


."j 


Form  L9-10m-3,'48(A79^0)444 


000  870  431     4 


683 


